mojoey
Senior Member
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Congrats Cort on our possible target, ( couldnt put it better if i tried ) I agree i kind of assumed flu like onset might make + diagnosis more likely, but then thinking about it logically what about the healthy 4% + ?
xrayspex if it helps. my flu like onset was just like typical strong flu, 102 temps or higher shivering cold, burning hot the next. aching all over. chest irratation ( actually i think respiratory infection ) very weak. loss of appetite. the usual bad flu feeling but no one ever caught it ?
Hi Alex
I assume it isnt the virus that is causing the symptoms but the immune response itself. can anyone say if that is correct ? so surely if that is so, then those with a clear marked antibody reponse surely should be feeling more symptoms not less. can the Virus itself produce symptoms ?
As i always thought it was the immune response itself that produces the symptoms. In which case as i tended to recover surely my antibody count would go down. Am i not understanding this correctly. if anyone could help me understand this more. Is it also possible that some patients actually have a very gradual constant antibody response, that controls the virus, That also the immune system learns over time, but producing mild symptoms almost daily ?
But with flare ups occuring when the antibody response becomes stronger. Possibly in response to higher copies of xmrv being detected by the body, and reacted to against them ? Out of my depth. but trying to understand.
This can be tested, as sicker patients should show more positive anti body testing in higher numbers. in a nutshell no response = less symptoms. but is it possible gradual antibody attack could also produce very mild symptoms. day to day mild symptoms.
with the occasional stronger symptom flare up equaling a greater antibody attack.Those that are sickest should show the highest responses of all shouldnt they ? Im probably not understanding this correctly. Alex your thoughts would be welcome
Hey Alex,
If Cort's case pans out as the trend rather than the exception, that would imply that the higher-functioning individuals have more antibodies.
I don't think the history of this disease has shown things to be as simple as you describe. What seems more likely is that we have excess inflammation along with immune deficiencies. NK cells are low, whereas certain cytokines are high. The CD4/CD8 ratio is the mirror of AIDS. Neutrophils are in the basement, and Rnase-L enzyme activity is through the roof.