Re: Re: SSRIs and the immune system

[Guest guest]

Yep, We just don't know. Despite Dr G's methodical, reasoned, and

well-intentioned approach....bottom-line is that we just don't know what

the long term effects of any biomedical approach right now.

R

Re: SSRIs and the immune system

On the other hand, the part about " bolstering the immune system " too

much bringing on the possibility of autoimmune reaction is

concerning. We have seen my son's ANA increase, not decrease. Am I

reading this right? Is there a possible correlation?

>

> I think this is not news to Dr. G. I have heard it mentioned

before that

> one of the reasons he prescribes SSRIs is because not only do they

help in

> serotonin productions but they protect the brain as well. I think

this is

> simply a validation of what he already practices.

>

> Antidepressants May Also Affect Immune System

> > >

> > > Commonly Used Antidepressants May Also Affect Human Immune

System

> > > Drugs that treat depression by manipulating the

neurotransmitter

> serotonin

> > > in the brain may also affect the user's immune system in ways

that are

> not

> > > yet understood, say scientists from town University

Medical Center

> > > and a Canadian research institute.

> > >

> > > That's because the investigators found, for the first time,

that

> serotonin

> > > is passed between key cells in the immune system, and that the

chemical

> is

> > > specifically used to activate an immune response. They do not

know yet,

> > > however, whether these SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake

inhibitors)

> > > drugs " including the brands Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and others "

could have

> > > either a beneficial or a damaging effect on human immunity.

> > >

> > > " The wider health implication is that commonly used SSRI

> antidepressants,

> > > which target the uptake of serotonin into neurons, may also

impact the

> > > uptake in immune cells, " said Gerard Ahern, Ph.D., assistant

professor

> of

> > > Pharmacology at town and lead researcher on the study.

> > >

> > > He said that while it may be possible that SSRI drugs may

restore a

> > > healthy immune function in people who are depressed and prone

to

> > > infections, it is possible that they might also bolster

immunity to the

> > > point that they trigger autoimmune disease. " At this point we

just don't

> > > know how these drugs might affect immunity, so we really need

to clarify

> > > the normal role of serotonin in immune cell functioning, "

Ahern said.

> > >

> > > The surprising finding that serotonin is rapidly passed

between immune

> > > cells in a manner similar to its transmission between brain

neurons was

> > > revealed in mid-October, when the research team published the

findings

> in

> > > the journal Blood. In December, the discovery was highlighted

for the

> > > general scientific audience by the journal Nature Reviews

Immunology,

> and

> > > now the research team is working to produce an animal model

that may

> help

> > > describe the precise nature of this interaction.

> > >

> > > " The novelty is that we reveal a potential communication,

involving the

> > > transmitter serotonin, between immune cells that is normally

only found

> > > between neurons, " Ahern said.

> > >

> > > In addition to Ahern, Peta Connell, Ph.D., from the Robarts

Research

> > > Institute in Canada, was also a co-lead researcher on the

study.

> > > Scientists from the Robarts Research Institute also

contributed to the

> > > work.

> > >

> > > In the brain, serotonin transmission between neurons is

associated with

> > > feelings of pleasure, mood, and appetite, and the class of

> antidepressants

> > > known as SSRIs keeps serotonin active within the synaptic

spaces between

> > > neurons, enhancing the chemical's positive effects. Unlike in

the brain,

> > > which uses chemical messengers to communicate between nerve

cells, the

> > > immune system is believed to " converse " through physical

contact -- one

> > > type of immune cell touches another, setting off a response.

> > >

> > > Specifically, " antigen presenting cells " display their

antigens (bits of

> a

> > > foreign invader) to T-cells, and a resulting physical coupling

between

> the

> > > antigens and the T-cells will prompt the T-cells to divide and

expand in

> > > population, triggering an immune response designed to destroy

the

> invader.

> > > This process may take hours.

> > >

> > > What the town researchers found, however, is that

dendritic

> cells --

> > > the most powerful of the antigen-presenting cells and the ones

that can

> > > find invaders that have never infected the body and " educate "

the immune

> > > system to fight them -- also use serotonin to quickly excite a

T-cell

> > > response. They discovered that these dendritic cells can

rapidly secrete

> > > serotonin, which activates serotonin receptors on certain

types of

> > > T-cells.

> > >

> > > " In addition to the physical contact, it surprised us to find

that these

> > > immune cells also have machinery to take up serotonin and to

secrete it

> in

> > > an excitatory manner, " Ahern said. " The point behind this

transmission

> is

> > > not entirely clear, but it appears to be an additional way of

> stimulating

> > > a T cell response. "

> > >

> > > Drugs that block serotonin reuptake " likely change some of the

> parameters

> > > of T-cell activation, but we don't know yet if it enhances or

inhibits

> the

> > > total immune response, " Ahern said. " But it is something that

should be

> > > explored because we really have no idea what SSRIs are doing

to people's

> > > immune systems. "

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Responsibility for the content of this message lies strictly

with

> > > the original author(s), and is not necessarily endorsed by or

the

> > > opinion of the Research Institute and/or the Parent

Coalition.

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Dr Goldberg has been saying this for years. I also think that since there

are now adults that were treated by Dr. Goldberg as children and are now parents

themselves we do have an idea about the long term effects of the biomedical

approach in some children.

Kathy on

NNY Autism Center

[Guest guest]

Were these children who are now adults, treated with

protocol? Sure would be great to hear from them.

BArb

--- JOSKAT95@... wrote:

> Dr Goldberg has been saying this for years. I also

> think that since there

> are now adults that were treated by Dr. Goldberg as

> children and are now parents

> themselves we do have an idea about the long term

> effects of the biomedical

> approach in some children.

>

> Kathy on

> NNY Autism Center

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

Barb Katsaros

barbkatsaros@...

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