This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I hope this was the right forum to place that hopeful news in.

I found it especially interesting when taking the following news in regard, where people in italy using BCG vaccination to generate immunetolerance - maybe its the same mechanism of action.
http://neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/53/7/1588

--Frank


Parasitic infection is found to benefit MS patients
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Patients with multiple sclerosis who also happen to have an intestinal parasite appear to have significantly fewer relapses and better outcomes than other MS patients, a new study found.

The finding suggests that when the body's immune system is occupied with an external threat, it might be less likely to misfire, which happens in conditions known as autoimmune disorders. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibres.

The study tracked 12 multiple sclerosis patients who were found to have an intestinal parasite and compared them with 12 other patients. Over four years, there were stark differences. There were three relapses among the patients who had the intestinal infection and 56 relapses in the other group.

Patients with the parasitic infection also had minimal changes in disability scores compared with the other group, according to a study in this month's Annals of Neurology by Jorge Correale and Mauricio Farez of the Raul Carrea Institute for Neurological Research in Buenos Aires.

The study suggests that one reason for the apparent increase in autoimmune disorders in recent years could be the decline of infectious diseases in certain countries. Because parasites often cause long-lasting infections, the researchers hypothesised that such infections could make persistent demands on the body and thereby reduce the likelihood that the immune system will attack healthy tissue.

Source: SouthCoastToday.com © 1995-2006 The Standard-Times.

I just came over this more detailed coverage:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/M ... is/dh/4870

Very interesting since I always believed that an intestinal infection plays a role in MS. Now, how can we treat this infection naturally?

beyondms

oo

hey there, recently saw an article musing on the disparity in MS between the finnish and the sami of northern finland. also have recently been reading about the poor soil/groundwater selenium status, in addition to low national vitamin D, in finland. the finnish govt has been working to address both issues.
we know d3 and selenium are low in ms-ers. recently i read that selenium can help buffer against hypoxia, and that the sami make up for the low environmental selenium in finland via consumption of fish and reindeer meat. that would also boost their d3 intake, nice and protective.

here's that bit about the sami and selenium (and alpha tocopherol) via fish (and reindeer) consumption:

Titre du document / Document title
High serum alpha-tocopherol, albumin, selenium and cholesterol, and low mortality from coronary heart disease in northern Finland
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
LUOMA P. V. ; NÄYHÄ S. ; SIKKILÄ K. ; HASSI J. ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
Univ. Oulu, Oulu regional inst. occupational health, Oulu, FINLANDE

Résumé / Abstract
Objectives. The mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) is exceptionally low in northernmost Finland, the Sami (formerly known as Lapp) area. To clarify the reasons for this, the levels of serum cholesterol, other classic risk factors, and major antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol, retinol, albumin and selenium were determined in males living in the low-mortality area and in a reference area. Design. A health survey amongst reindeer herdsmen living in the three northernmost communes of Finland (the Sami area) and in the six neighbouring communities to the south (the reference area). The mortality from CHD in the two areas was determined from death certificates issued during the period 1981-1990. Subjects. A total of 350 participants of the health survey, mean age 46 (SD 14) years. Results. The mortality from CHD was 17% lower in the Sami area than in the reference area [95% confidence interval (CI) for the difference: 4-29]. Subjects living in the low-mortality area showed higher serum-lipid-adjusted alpha-tocopherol (18.4 vs. 16.1 μmol L-1; 95% CI for difference: 0.7-3.9; P<0.001), ALBUMIN (46.9 VS. 46.2 G L-1; 0.2-1.3; P<0.02), SELENIUM (1.59 VS. 1.47 μMOL L-1; 0.02-0.22; P<0.02), CHOLESTEROL (6.76 VS. 6. 34 MMOL L-1; 0.12-0.72; P<0.001) and LDL cholesterol (4.76 vs. 4.45 mmol L-1; 0.05-0.57; P<0.02) than those in the reference area. The HDL cholesterol: cholesterol ratio was lower in the Sami area than in the reference area (0.20 vs. 0.21; -0.02-0.00; P<0.04). The Samis showed higher serum selenium than the Finns. Serum alpha-tocopherol increased with the consumption of reindeer meat and serum selenium increased with fish consumption. Conclusions. Alpha-tocopherol, albumin and selenium may play a role in the low mortality from CHD observed in northernmost Finland. The favourable serum antioxidant status in northerners may be credited to the local diet.

Bob,
I'm easily confused. Is the idea that the parasite attracts the immune system away from the CNS, the parasite is attacking the thing that is attacking the CNS or something else?
Ken

_________________
My Starting Point
Understanding MS 101: Doctor Talk and People Talk<br /><br />

oo

Thanks Bob. So let me see if I get this, you're not suggesting a specific function, you're observing a long-term disequilibrium, much like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, yes?

I suppose we are living to be older than we did 10,000 years ago, but I get it that is not your point exactly. I think you're saying that there was some benefits we received and our bodies might not have made up for that loss yet, yes?

So, while I'm on a roll..... We just took our dog in for shots. Lucy is a year old. I imagine all those expensive shots didn't exist 500 years ago and dogs just had worms and stuff. I also imagine, to extrapolate that the human body didn't have all the shots we get either. Equilibrium existed for thousands of years and a bunch of Nobel prize winners showed up and messed up all the fun. Do I get it? Ken

_________________
My Starting Point
Understanding MS 101: Doctor Talk and People Talk<br /><br />

I think the term I've seen most is "loss of evolutionary normal conditions".

_________________
http://myhopefuljourneyintoactualmsreco ... ogspot.com

oo

Ok Bob, I'll play.....

So shouldn't we simply be able to make comparisons with humans that live deep in the Amazon or something like that? You make me think of this TV show on cable about the enemy within. I've only watched the kids watching it a few times, but they wash their hands more now.

I imagine we are a long way off course at this point. I mean, think of all the prepackaged food, UV bacteria killer lamps and Lysol. I don't think we can turn back, but I can see an argument that says our "technically" longer lasting bodies are untested and more fragile. An interesting perspecitve.

So, this of course leads me to .......

You had to know this was coming - bacteria. Couldn't bacteria be such a parasite, or must it be a worm or something like that? Maybe we once had a way to fight off pneumonia and now we don't? Interestingly enough, the pneumonia bacteria can live in your body, in your own cells for your lifetime. But, you knew that already. Ken

_________________
My Starting Point
Understanding MS 101: Doctor Talk and People Talk<br /><br />

oo

Another player in the infection scenario- nitric oxide. Parasitic infections activate NO, the vasodilating signalling molecule-




http://mmbr.asm.org/cgi/reprint/59/4/533.pdf

Feel better, Bob!
cheer

_________________
Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS

very interesting article, thank you for sharing this! this following is nothing scientific, but generally i have the feeling when in lapland graveyard that people have died very young there, and still do die young, especially men, not very common there to reach 60 or 70 years. but that is then related to some other disease than CHD, i don't know.

fortunately there has been some scientific attention to sami mortality in finland
i'm not having any luck finding research on the incidence of helminthic infection in the sami though

http://sjp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/37/5/475

During the time period 1991—2006, the outside SUF area, inland had an average infant mortality rate of 1.8/1000 per year, and for SUF coast it was 6.2/1000 per year. This difference was, however, not significant (p = 0.08 ). Conclusions: Overall, mortality rates were similar across geographical areas with low and with high Sami population density. However, indications of geographical differences in infant mortality should be investigated further.

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... _1979-2005

Altogether 625 Sami died during 1979-2005, while the expected number based on the average mortality rates in the entire Finnish population was 633. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of the Sami population was 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.91-1.06), and for the non-Sami 1.07 (1.00-1.14). The mortality from accidents and violence was elevated both among the Sami, SMR 1.67 (1.32-2.08 ), and among the non-Sami, 1.28 (1.04-1.53). Snowmobile and water transport accidents were especially common. SMR for disease mortality among the Sami men was 0.88 (0.78-0.98 ). Half of the decrease was attributable to the low mortality from cancer, SMR 0.69 (0.52-0.90). SMR for circulatory diseases was very similar. The SMRs for dementia and Alzheimer's disease were elevated among the Sami men. CONCLUSIONS: The Sami men had a lower disease mortality as compared with the Finnish population generally and their non-Sami neighbours, although their life habits would suggest a higher mortality rate.