food intolerances

[Guest guest]

This is interesting. What specific tests are done to check for auto-immune

problems not related to diabetes?

Gaylen

[Guest guest]

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AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, CHILDREN

Description

Children with neurological autoimmune diseases develop immune reactions

to other targets in their bodies and in food early in their disease.

Newswise -- Children with neurological autoimmune diseases develop

immune reactions to other targets in their bodies and in food early in

their disease, according to research that will be presented at the

American Academy of Neurology 58th Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif.,

April 1 - 8, 2006.

T cells are the body's regulators of the immune response. Increased T

cell proliferation is a characteristic of autoimmune disease, in which

the immune system attacks body tissues.

" However, it wasn't known whether this increased proliferation occurred

early, or as a result of chronic autoimmunity, " said lead researcher

Banwell, MD, from the Department of Pediatric Neurology at the

Hospital for Sick Children in Ontario, Canada.

The researchers studied 166 children: 63 with an autoimmune

demyelinating syndrome (either multiple sclerosis or an isolated event

of central nervous system autoimmunity), 43 with type I diabetes (also

an autoimmune disease), 31 with a non-autoimmune neurological condition,

and 30 healthy controls. They examined blood samples for T cell

proliferation in response to exposure to a variety of antigens

(targets), including myelin protein from nerve cells, proteins in the

pancreas, and proteins in milk.

As expected, more children with central nervous system autoimmunity had

T cell proliferation after exposure to myelin than control children (50

percent versus 10 percent). About a quarter of these children also

showed a response to proinsulin, a T-cell target in type I diabetes.

Over sixty percent also responded to a protein in milk. Ninety percent

of the children with type I diabetes responded to pancreatic antigens as

expected, but almost as many (79 percent) responded to myelin, and 90

percent responded to milk protein.

" Even at the onset of their disease, children with autoimmune diseases

harbor T cells that will react against proteins within their tissues, "

Banwell said. " The responses seen against milk proteins raise the

possibility that substances in food may be associated with autoimmunity. "

This study was supported by The Wadsworth Foundation.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 19,000

neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving

patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor

with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders

of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer disease, epilepsy,

multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and stroke.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit

http://www.aan.com.

Editor's Note: Dr. Banwell will present this research during a

scientific platform session at 1:30 Thursday, April 6 in room 6AB of the

San Diego Convention Center.

[Guest guest]

the same blood tests that Dr G has done on your child.

I know myelin antibodies is one because hubby had that done

with his GBS. ANA perhaps .... the IG() tests .....

I can't seem to find a Dr in my area willing to take

my blood which I want to happily give!

There appears to be an insurance issue as well since

there has to be a 'need' or 'cause to need' these tests

which are often expensive.

Hubby was allowed the tests because he had GBS ....

Now I did give a tube to JHU for their maternal

antibodies study ... I'm suppose to get a copy of

the research results but not my personal results :-(

Dr G at one time used to do this for some parents who

believed there might be a connection to them.

But I think it just became too much ....

but I often wonder if I really whined .. HARD ..

if he might agree to take the blood when we

visit in June ...

doris

>

> This is interesting. What specific tests are done to check for

auto-immune

> problems not related to diabetes?

> Gaylen

>

>

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