RE: more - s Hopkins

[Guest guest]

I did find one more thing involving s-Hopkins I really think is

interesting... It's a FAQ page on the study called " The Meaning of

Neuroinflammatory Findings in Autism " , which is the excellent study that

came out of s-Hopkins last year.

Here's the link...

http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/neuroimmunopath/autism_faqs.htm

Some people may be particularly interested in the last question...

JH Question:

If there is neuroinflammation in the brain of some autistic patients, is

treatment with anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory medications indicated?

JH Answer:

At present, THERE IS NO indication for using anti-inflammatory medications

in patients with autism. Immunomodulatory or anti-inflammatory medications

such as steroids (e.g. prednisone or methylprednisolone), immunosupressants

(e.g. Azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide) or modulators of immune

reactions (e.g. intravenous immunoglobulins, IVIG) WOULD NOT HAVE a

significant effect on neuroglial activation because these drugs work mostly

on adaptive immunity by reducing the production of immunoglobulins,

decreasing the production of T cells and limiting the infiltration of

inflammatory cells into areas of tissue injury. Our study demonstrated NO

EVIDENCE at all for these types of immune reactions. There are ongoing

experimental studies to examine the effect of drugs that limit the

activation of microglia and astrocytes, but their use in humans must await

further evidence of their efficacy and safety.

I just want to throw in here that Dr. G does sometimes use IMIG (or is it

IMGG?) but that it could be in hoping to directly address things other than

inflammation such as viruses, etc. that our kids can't fight with their own

immune systems, rather than trying to stop the inflammation directly...

that's just my guess... I really wish I understood this all better.

Caroline

[Guest guest]

Caroline:

I believe that Doris posted awhile back that in a discussion with one of

the JHU guys that there was word on the street that the NIH was using

minocycline (an antibiotic that helps reduce microglial activation) in

an effort to reduce neurological inflammation in lieu of

anti-inflammatory meds and immune modulators, which is indicated in the

link below as not the best route to take according to JHU (however it

wasn't clear what kind of disorder they were experimenting with). Has

anyone here heard of an ASD kid on this antibiotic, I am just curious if

anyone has heard anything more about this??? I googled the antibiotic

back when Doris mentioned it in a post and it appears to be a fairly

safe antibiotic that has been around for a long time that is generally

prescribed for bacterial skin infections, sometimes even for

dermatological reasons. Hopefully we will here more about it at some

point if it proves effective and safe...

Re: more - s Hopkins

I did find one more thing involving s-Hopkins I really think is

interesting... It's a FAQ page on the study called " The Meaning of

Neuroinflammatory Findings in Autism " , which is the excellent study that

came out of s-Hopkins last year.

Here's the link...

http://www.neuro.

<http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/neuroimmunopath/autism_faqs.htm>

jhmi.edu/neuroimmunopath/autism_faqs.htm

Some people may be particularly interested in the last question...

JH Question:

If there is neuroinflammation in the brain of some autistic patients, is

treatment with anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory medications

indicated?

JH Answer:

At present, THERE IS NO indication for using anti-inflammatory

medications

in patients with autism. Immunomodulatory or anti-inflammatory

medications

such as steroids (e.g. prednisone or methylprednisolone),

immunosupressants

(e.g. Azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide) or modulators of

immune

reactions (e.g. intravenous immunoglobulins, IVIG) WOULD NOT HAVE a

significant effect on neuroglial activation because these drugs work

mostly

on adaptive immunity by reducing the production of immunoglobulins,

decreasing the production of T cells and limiting the infiltration of

inflammatory cells into areas of tissue injury. Our study demonstrated

NO

EVIDENCE at all for these types of immune reactions. There are ongoing

experimental studies to examine the effect of drugs that limit the

activation of microglia and astrocytes, but their use in humans must

await

further evidence of their efficacy and safety.

I just want to throw in here that Dr. G does sometimes use IMIG (or is

it

IMGG?) but that it could be in hoping to directly address things other

than

inflammation such as viruses, etc. that our kids can't fight with their

own

immune systems, rather than trying to stop the inflammation directly...

that's just my guess... I really wish I understood this all better.

Caroline