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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.autism
Date:         Fri, 11 Sep 1992 12:28:00 +1000
              <AUTISM@SJUVM.BITNET>
From:         LNCJB@CC.NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU
Subject:      Re: DMG Vitamin B15

>Carolyn, what do you have on autistic high anti-body production
>and auto-immune diases that you could share in more detail?

Anne, how did I know you where going to ask that question? :-)

The reference to autistic high antibody production, comes from email
discussions I had previously with my two friends - one a neurobiologist;
the other a biochemist who also happens to be HFA and has done extensive
biochemical analysis of her own body and we have been comparing our
reactions to various chemicals and substances since the beginning of this
year. Both Pat and I suffer from autoimmune disorders, which first appeared
in our teenage years following a severe infection/prolonged illness. Prior
to that we had always been exceptionally healthy, recovering abnormally
rapidly from any illness or injury. We surmised that this was an indicator
that our immune systems had been functioning extremely efficiently up to
that time. When Mickey (the neurobiologist) researched this subject for us
(not his area, but he was the only one of us equipped to interpret the
literature more or less accurately... it's very technical....he sent me some
of the abstracts that he'd found but the jargon was beyond me), he said that,
although we really needed an immunologist to answer our questions, he felt
that my suggestion that our immune system operates 'as a random antibody
generator until it comes up with the right match' seemed to coincide with
what he had read. We then hypothesized that if the 'antibody production'
didn't shut down when it was supposed to.....if there was some problem with
the 'trigger cells' not correctly identifying 'invaders' or shutting down
the system when they had been eradicated then the chances of producing
'self-destroying' antibodies would be greatly increased.

I'm sorry that I can't give you a complete list of references for this stuff
- I've gleaned a lot from discussions on bionet.immunology as well as other
sources. This area seems to be right at the forefront of immunological
research at the moment..... I heard a report about a month ago (on the TV -
can't tell how reliable that is) that recent research here in Australia has
identified a 'problem with trigger cells' in connection to CFS and I don't
know if that paper has even been published yet. I really need to talk to an
immunologist. Anyone know one?

Pat was a member of the list for a short while back in July until she lost
Internet access, as she only works from a CompuServe account these days,
I send her those articles I think she would be interested in and she makes
her comments to me. (I suggested that she sign up and SET NOMAIL and retrieve
the logs on a weekly basis, but a review of the list shows that she hasn't
done that yet). This was her comment on the original article:-

>DMG sounds like one of those horrible things that help the *other*
>half of the people with mental problems.  For one thing, dimethyl
>compounds fire up all my autoimmune reactions.  For another thing
>(or maybe it's the same thing), "increases antibody production
>by 400%" can be horrible for those of us who have too many antibodies
>to start with.
>
>Maybe what it does is prevent toxic hypoglycemia by stopping your
>body from trying to make glutathione?  My nephew says that when my
>schizophrenic sister is taking anti-psychotic drugs, her mind is
>clear but her body goes to pieces.
>
>(Sorry, my prejudices are showing.  8-)

Pat had analyzed a cytochrome P450 enzyme deficiency in herself which I think
she said either would or does result in glutathione deficiency, so I
understand her reservations about using such compounds.

It will take me a number of days to put together something more substantial
than this.... I'd have to go back and read all that stuff again .... or I
could be REALLY mean and just post the original articles and let you all
suffer the headaches I underwent the first time I waded through it.... NO!
I couldn't do that - I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. :-)

Carolyn
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