Autoantibodies to Folic Acid

[soulfeast]

A friend recently sent me this information about folic acid uptake by cells... what do you think. Thank you...

Edward V. Quadros PhD and his colleagues have found in autism normal to high folate levels in the serum and erythrocytes, but with cerebral folate deficiency. In the serum they also found high-affinity blocking autoantibodies against membrance-bound folate receptors. So the cells do not uptake, because the receptors are blocked.

 

[determined]

I think this may turn out to be a very important component of all this. So, in effect, simply supplementing nutients may not be a long term answer if there is autoimmunity against the receptors. For a while, supplementing may "outcompete" the receptor antibodies, but the immune system may find a way to "restore the dysregulation."

Very interesting.

I hope to hear from others on this.

 

[Freddd]

I think this may turn out to be a very important component of all this. So, in effect, simply supplementing nutients may not be a long term answer if there is autoimmunity against the receptors. For a while, supplementing may "outcompete" the receptor antibodies, but the immune system may find a way to "restore the dysregulation."

Very interesting.

I hope to hear from others on this.

Hi Determined,

If you look at the Deplin site they describe how methylfolate is the only form of folate that penetrates the blood brain barrier. They also have that in their research complete with citations. Folic acid doesn't penetrate the brain in anybody. As it seems like a good idea for many of us to get away from folic acid this comes as no surprise. As mb12 deficiency appears involved in autoimmune responses of at least some forms, again no surprises.

If the antibodies were to methylfolate I would be more concerned. As folic acid isn't necessarily good for many of us and doesn't penetrate the blood brain barrier in the first place who knows what the actual effects might be, if any, of antibodies against folic acid. Maybe it is protective, necessary, keeping a fake folate from our brains and the damage it could do there. Maybe the folic acid itself causes the antibodies. It might be that folic acid triggered paradoxical folate deficiency is a major player in developing autism in the first place. Maybe this antibody mechanism is involved in paradoxical folate deficiency. It does raise a lot of questions. However, some questions by their nature don't have any useful answers. Folic acid transport is possibly one of those questions as this is a substance that doesn't belong in our bodies in the first place. Maybe the antibodies will be normalized by mb12 and cofactors allowing the immune system to function again properly. Maybe only taking enough Metafolin to diffuse into the brain is the answer. So perhaps an answer to autism is mb12, adb12 and Metafolin in sufficient dose to enter the brain by diffusion.

I have spent most of my life in folate deficiency with outright identifiable symptoms. So far supplementing Metafolin has been the ONLY solution that has helped. If better ones come up I will be most interested.

 

[determined]

Thanks Fredd. I was hoping you would have something to add to this. I'll have to check out the deplin material, but your point seems very plausible.

Since I read your discussions about dietary folate I've been trying to avoid it. It seems like the food industry is going in the opposite direction. I almost bought some serving-sized, sugar free oatmeal the other day until I noticed it contained 50% of the RDA of folic acid.