I wanted to mention something about this. Recently in another thread another TIMSer mentioned that he felt the proof that MS was autoimmune was that we have other autoimmune diseases more often than others do asserting that these co autoimmunities are endorsing the notion that they are therefore both autoimmunities.
It turns out there is not proof of excessive co autoimmunities in MS except with regards to the thyroid gland. We do have an increased incidence of thyroid issues with MS.
I have pointed out before the thyroid veins are likely impacted by CCSVI and Dr Zamboni mentions it specifically in his paper so that was a decent call.
We have mentioned it before but scleroderma can be triggered by venous insufficiency, cured by repairing the flow problem. CLICK HERE FOR PUBMED SCLERODERMA
Might the thyroid problems seen in MS be initiated by CCSVI too?
It is interesting to note that the Campath trials have discovered that thyroiditis occurs vastly more often in Campath treated persons
FROM HERE CLICKIn the phase 2 trials, 20% of Campath-treated patients developed thyroid disorders compared to 3% on Rebif. Krupp notes, however, that thyroid trouble seems to occur with MS anyway, for reasons that are not well understood
SO here we have a drug that is supposed to be the brightest hope for MS patients to date and they can't figure out why a so called autoimmune disease is INCREASED in prevalence to the level that one in 5 are getting it in addition to the MS as a side effect of getting the drug.
It is a head scratcher for them because why would an autoimmune disease incidence go up when you whacked to immune system so hard that it is deficient?
But what if MS is CCSVI, what then?
Well the circulation is not going to change so the stenosis wherever it is is still there. If it impacts the thyroid, as apparently it does in 20% of cases, then it is getting whacked by the blood flow issue and it is also not getting help and repair from the immune system for that whack....cause the immune system is largely knocked out by campath.
it is just a thought..
marie