Great Plains Lab - two new tests available

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I received this and thought you might be interested:

Great Plains Laboratory, Inc.

Shaw, PhD., Director 11813 W. 77th Street, Lenexa KS 66214

Tel: 913-341-8949 Fax: 913-341-6207

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The importance of detecting brain autoantibodies to evaluate MMR

vaccine damage and toxicity of mercury and other toxic chemicals in

Autism and PDD, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and

Parkinson's disease.

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The Great Plains Laboratory is pleased to announce the availability

of two new tests myelin basic protein antibodies and glial fibrillary

acid protein antibody to evaluate autoantibodies to brain proteins

that may be clinically useful for the treatment of autism and PDD,

multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative diseases like

Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral

sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease).

Elevated autoantibodies to brain proteins are frequently found in

autism. Dr. Singh at Utah State University reported that over 90% of

MMR (measles,mumps,rubella) antibody-positive autistic sera were also

positive for MBP autoantibodies, suggesting a strong association

between MMR and CNS autoimmunity in autism. The press release from

the meeting of the American Society of Microbiology reported that:

" The study found a strong correlation between measles/MMR antibodies

and brain autoantibodies in autistic children. The normal healthy

children did not harbor these antibodies. All children in the study

had their MMR immunization but none had a natural measles rash.

Moreover, the paired analysis of serum and spinal fluid (CSF) also

showed this correlation. The new evidence suggests that the MMR

vaccine might trigger autoimmunity by bringing on an " atypical "

measles infection that does not produce a typical measles rash but

causes neurological symptoms in autistic children. "

Thus, brain antibodies may be caused by vaccine damage but such

antibodies may also be caused by other factors as well. The toxicity

of mercury has been well established. The benefits to children with

autism of mercury removal by chelation therapy were a major focus of

the last Defeat Autism Now (DAN) conference. One of the major

difficulties is that testing for mercury may not be able to detect

mercury exposure that has occurred more than one year ago. In such

cases, a biological marker for the harmful effects of mercury

toxicity is very desirable.

Organic mercury found in vaccines as the preservative thimerosal and

in fish is especially potent in inducing brain autoantibodies.

Mercury has the ability to react with the sulfhydryl groups of a wide

range of proteins, altering their structure so significantly that the

immune system no longer recognizes them as " self " and mounts an

attack against these proteins. When proteins in the brain are

attacked, the brain cells may not function properly. Brain pathology

associated with methylmercury toxicity includes neuronal (nerve) cell

degeneration and demyelination (the removal of the insulation

material surrounding the nerve axons leading to short-circuiting of

the nerve signals.) Antibodies to brain proteins were elevated in

human workers exposed to either mercury or lead. Furthermore, the

workers with the most severe impairments were those with the highest

brain antibody levels. In multiple sclerosis, the axons of the

neurons are actually severed with 11,236 severed axons per cubic

millimeter in active lesions of brain tissue versus less than one

severed axon per cubic millimeter in normal tissue. The chelating

agent DMSA substantially reversed brain pathology in rats exposed to

lead. DMSA has not been nearly as effective in reducing autistic

symptoms in older individuals as in younger children perhaps because

of mercury causing damage over a longer time period. Mercury in the

brain may persist for decades. Clinical accounts also seem to

indicate more success in chelation treatment of other

neurodegenerative diseases in the early stages of the disease.

Removal of mercury and lead with chelation treatment over a six-month

period restored all mental function in a person with severe memory

loss and suspected Alzheimer's disease. Since silver dental fillings

are a major source of mercury, such fillings should be removed prior

to chelation.

There have been associations of a number of other xenobiotics with

human autoimmune disease, including iodine, vinyl chloride,

canavanine, organic solvents, silica, l-tryptophan, particulates,

ultraviolet radiation, and ozone. In addition, there is discussion in

the literature that raises the possibility that xenobiotics may also

exacerbate an existing autoimmune disease.

Therapies for people with elevated brain autoantibodies and

neurodegenerative diseases.

1. Remove toxic heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and

aluminum. Most heavy metals can be effectively removed by DMSA

therapy. Aluminum is an exception but it can be effectively removed

by the use of oral malic acid.

2. Treat with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG). For reasons

that are not entirely clear, treatment with intravenous infusions of

antibodies will sometimes decrease the production of autoantibodies.

The therapy may be very expensive and yet there are some children

with autism in which a nearly complete remission has occurred.

3. Take myelin supplements by mouth to slow the attack of the

immune system. A number of studies have found that feeding a

substance at very high levels to which the person has a severe

allergy will depress the overactive immune response. The phenomenon

is called oral immune tolerance. Bovine brain is available from

Ecological Formulas. Because of Mad Cow Disease, I would not use the

product unless the geographic source of the product is documented.

Cows from England and other European countries have been affected

with this disorder. One-half to one capsule a day has been used to

treat autism and this same approach has also been used for MS

patients.

Test requirements and prices

Test: Myelin basic protein antibodies. Includes IgG, IgA, and IgM to

myelin basic protein. Write in MBP antibody in " other " slot on test

requisition form.

Purpose: Indicates the presence of autoantibodies against myelin in

the peripheral or central nervous system.

Clinical Usefulness: Autism and PDD, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's

disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

(ALS), and peripheral neuropathy.

Sample requirement: 1 ml serum from red top tube

Shipping requirement: Ship at room temperature

Cost: $135

Test: Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein antibodies.

Purpose: Indicates the presence of antibodies to the central nervous

system and astrocytes. Astrocytes are extremely important since they

act as sites of deposition for heavy metals including mercury.

Clinical usefulness: Autism and PDD, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's

disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

(ALS).

Sample requirement: 1 ml serum from red top tube

Shipping requirement: Ship at room temperature

Cost: $175

Nervous system autoimmunity combination profile (Recommended

profile):

Includes both of the above tests including IgG, IgA, and IgM

antibodies to myelin basic protein and Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein

antibodies as well.

Sample requirement: 2 ml serum from red top tube.

Cost: $275.

References

1. Mohamed B. Aboudonia and Lorne K. Garrettson. Detection of

neurofilament autoantibodies in human serum following chemically

induced neurologic disorder: a case report. Environmental

Epidemiology and Toxicology (2000) 2, 37-41.

2. Hassan A. et al. Exposure of methylmercury results in serum

autoantibodies to neurotypic and gliotypic antibodies. Neuro

Toxicology 17: 267-276, 1996.

3. Hassan A et al. Neuroimmunotoxicology: Humoral assessment of

neurotoxicity and autoimmune mechanisms. Environ Health Perspect 107

(SUPPL 5): 767-775, 1999.

4. Singh VK, Lin SX, Newell E, C. Abnormal measles-mumps-

rubella antibodies and CNS autoimmunity in children with autism.J

Biomed Sci 2002 Jul-Aug;9(4):359-64.

Special Year-End Offer

The Great Plains Laboratory is offering a special year-end discount

for all tests ordered from now through January 24, 2003. All tests

ordered through this offer will receive a 15% discount on the Cash

Price of every test ordered. For more information on the types of

testing offered, go to

http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/testprices.html. Print out the

enclosed Discount certificate and enclose it with your samples to

receive the discount. The discount will not apply unless the Discount

certificate is enclosed. Any specimens that arrive after 1/24/03

will be ineligible for this offer. As always, The Great Plains

Laboratory's Customer Service Specialists are available to answer any

questions you may have.

Call (913) 341-8949 or e-mail gpl4u@... to receive your test kits

in order to qualify for the discount.

This offer does not apply to insurance billing. However, those of

you who have met your deductibles may wish to send in your samples.

They must arrive here by December 31, 2002 to qualify.

If you have received this email in error, or would like to be removed

from our mailing list, just click this link to be removed from the

list.

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This discount certificate qualifies the user for a 15% discount on

all lab testing offered by The Great Plains Laboratory that arrives

by 1/24/03. A copy of this discount certificate must be included when

the samples are returned to qualify for the discount. You can print

as many of these certificates as you want. Each test kit must contain

a copy of the certificate to qualify for the discount.

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