Re: Lab Testing for Mold Exposure

[Guest guest]

I've been doing some checking on this for my clients through my allergy-

medical-laboratory-environmental doctor-legal resources. I have several

clients in various stages of litigation and who would benefit

tremendously by such testing.

The results are very mixed but with some encouragement. I won't

publicly mention names at this time because everything is so nebulous

and some of the players are very well intentioned but short on

verification. Tracking down sources and citations leads to many blind

alleys and much quoting out of context.

I don't want to discourage the pioneers but at the same time I don't

want to get peoples' hopes up that a definitive and reliable test exists

that can survive a challange in court. Also, I may not have the full story.

It is very likely that there may be other labs, doctors and resouces I

don't know about.

The main lesson I've learned -- again -- is that the topic of mold is still

like the wild, wild west, where we victims can easily confuse the fastest

talker who tells us what we desperately want to hear, or the quickest

gunslinger offering protection from the bullies, with a reliable remedy and

a defensible position.

I've only heard of two labs actually conducting this IgG testing - or

anything similar -- for mold exposure (including mycotoxins and mVOCs

including trichothecenes) or other fungi other than the yeast Candidae

Albicans. One lab claims it can identify specific mold exposures of over

a dozen genera -- but it has a lousy reputation with a history of claims it

can't substantiate. Many of the " medical " and " authoritative " references

for it are suspect to scandalous and would never hold up to even a

moderate challange in a court of law.

Medical sources say IgG is a general marker and not a specific marker.

That there is no way for it to identify anything more specific than that

the immune systems has been activated by something. Other IgX tests

are required for that, and those have not been developed yet.

A second lab is investigating this process but has made only a few,

general claims. It is still researching the process with more precise

methodology than IgG and claims to be making progress. It's reputation

is very good and is conservative with both it's claims and it's references.

I was refered to a thrid lab that has a stellar reputation. But they don't

do the analysis themselves. They use the second one mentioned above

and only on very limited basis such as C. Albicans -- but not for mold in

general or for specific genera specifically.

Some of the internet medical doctors turn out to not really be M.D.s,

others are M.D.s but play loose with the medicine and the science,

seemingly more in service of their own agenda. Even some of the best

of them don't seem to understand mold. One insisted that yeast is not a

member of the fungus family. Another kept confusing mold with bacteria.

Even the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has an article (though not

written by them) on their Web site that is just plain wrong

www.cdc.gov/niosh/nasd/docs4/va98022.html#l6

Find the heading that reads " What are These Mold Spores and Why are

They so Dangerous? " The very first sentence begins with these words:

" Mold spores are tiny bacteria... "

However, I'm still looking and still hoping. As are my clients. So if

anybody can give me specifics -- names, addresses and phone

numbers of labs, doctors or lawyers -- let me know and I'll report back to

the group what I find out. You can send e-mail to the group or to me

privately.

Carl E Grimes

Healthy Habitats

grimes@...

303-671-9653

-------

> I too would be interested in knowing this, since I just had a blood

> test done last week. I am suppose to hear the results of this test

> in the next few days.

>

>

> > Would any doctor reading this please comment on the significance of

> these

> > tests. Do these simply indicate a history of exposure, no matter

> how minor.

> > Or do they indicate a major problem causing exposure.

> >

> > Also, any lawyers, please comment on the use of such tests in

> real court

> > cases.

> >

> >

> > ----Original Message Follows----

> > From: mary flores <marbme12@y...>

> > @y...

> > Subject: Re: [] (no subject)

> > Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 20:35:38 -0700 (PDT)

> >

> > Yes,

> >

> > There is a test called an ig and igg. Several species

> > of mold can be detected expecially the dreaded

> > stachybotrus chartarum.

[Guest guest]

Carl Grimes,

You so eloquently stated the facts. Thanks. Often you

stand a better chance in court over the issue of

damages than definative health issues regarding mold.

However it depends on whether you get the JUDGE or the

JURY, since it is a proponderance of the evidence, in

civil court it makes it a little easier.

, NTMC

www.geocities.com/marbme12/NTMC.html

--- " Carl E. Grimes " <grimes@...> wrote:

>

> I've been doing some checking on this for my clients

> through my allergy-

> medical-laboratory-environmental doctor-legal

> resources. I have several

> clients in various stages of litigation and who

> would benefit

> tremendously by such testing.

>

> The results are very mixed but with some

> encouragement. I won't

> publicly mention names at this time because

> everything is so nebulous

> and some of the players are very well intentioned

> but short on

> verification. Tracking down sources and citations

> leads to many blind

> alleys and much quoting out of context.

>

> I don't want to discourage the pioneers but at the

> same time I don't

> want to get peoples' hopes up that a definitive and

> reliable test exists

> that can survive a challange in court. Also, I may

> not have the full story.

> It is very likely that there may be other labs,

> doctors and resouces I

> don't know about.

>

> The main lesson I've learned -- again -- is that the

> topic of mold is still

> like the wild, wild west, where we victims can

> easily confuse the fastest

> talker who tells us what we desperately want to

> hear, or the quickest

> gunslinger offering protection from the bullies,

> with a reliable remedy and

> a defensible position.

>

> I've only heard of two labs actually conducting this

> IgG testing - or

> anything similar -- for mold exposure (including

> mycotoxins and mVOCs

> including trichothecenes) or other fungi other than

> the yeast Candidae

> Albicans. One lab claims it can identify specific

> mold exposures of over

> a dozen genera -- but it has a lousy reputation with

> a history of claims it

> can't substantiate. Many of the " medical " and

> " authoritative " references

> for it are suspect to scandalous and would never

> hold up to even a

> moderate challange in a court of law.

>

> Medical sources say IgG is a general marker and not

> a specific marker.

> That there is no way for it to identify anything

> more specific than that

> the immune systems has been activated by something.

> Other IgX tests

> are required for that, and those have not been

> developed yet.

>

> A second lab is investigating this process but has

> made only a few,

> general claims. It is still researching the process

> with more precise

> methodology than IgG and claims to be making

> progress. It's reputation

> is very good and is conservative with both it's

> claims and it's references.

>

> I was refered to a thrid lab that has a stellar

> reputation. But they don't

> do the analysis themselves. They use the second one

> mentioned above

> and only on very limited basis such as C. Albicans

> -- but not for mold in

> general or for specific genera specifically.

>

> Some of the internet medical doctors turn out to not

> really be M.D.s,

> others are M.D.s but play loose with the medicine

> and the science,

> seemingly more in service of their own agenda. Even

> some of the best

> of them don't seem to understand mold. One insisted

> that yeast is not a

> member of the fungus family. Another kept confusing

> mold with bacteria.

>

> Even the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has an

> article (though not

> written by them) on their Web site that is just

> plain wrong

> www.cdc.gov/niosh/nasd/docs4/va98022.html#l6

>

> Find the heading that reads " What are These Mold

> Spores and Why are

> They so Dangerous? " The very first sentence begins

> with these words:

> " Mold spores are tiny bacteria... "

>

> However, I'm still looking and still hoping. As are

> my clients. So if

> anybody can give me specifics -- names, addresses

> and phone

> numbers of labs, doctors or lawyers -- let me know

> and I'll report back to

> the group what I find out. You can send e-mail to

> the group or to me

> privately.

>

> Carl E Grimes

> Healthy Habitats

> grimes@...

> 303-671-9653

>

> -------

> > I too would be interested in knowing this, since I

> just had a blood

> > test done last week. I am suppose to hear the

> results of this test

> > in the next few days.

> >

> >

> > > Would any doctor reading this please comment on

> the significance of

> > these

> > > tests. Do these simply indicate a history of

> exposure, no matter

> > how minor.

> > > Or do they indicate a major problem causing

> exposure.

> > >

> > > Also, any lawyers, please comment on the use

> of such tests in

> > real court

> > > cases.

> > >

> > >

> > > ----Original Message Follows----

> > > From: mary flores <marbme12@y...>

> > > @y...

> > > Subject: Re: [] (no subject)

> > > Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 20:35:38 -0700 (PDT)

> > >

> > > Yes,

> > >

> > > There is a test called an ig and igg. Several

> species

> > > of mold can be detected expecially the dreaded

> > > stachybotrus chartarum.

>

>

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