Self test for Th1/Th2 balance

Test of immune activity in ME/CFS indicates it's a condition associated with overactive Th2 response
ProHealth.com
February 16, 2012
Article:
Self-test monitoring of the Th1/Th2 balance in health and disease with special emphasis on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis
Source: Journal of Medical Laboratory and Diagnosis, Feb 2012

By Chris Roelant and Kenny De Meirleir

[Note: Th (T helper) cells trigger and direct the immune response. Th1 and Th2 are different subsets that muster response to different challenges. Broadly, Th1 musters cellular immunity, and Th2 is involved in humoral immunity (noncellular components of blood such as plasma & lymph) and mucosal immunity and allergy. Different diseases may dysregulate the Th1-Th2 balance: be either Th1 or Th2 mediated/dominant. This quick urine test for Th1/Th2 activity allows evaluation by resulting color of whether a treatment strategy such as antioxidants, nutraceuticals or drug is working to restore balance. And tests of more than 450 chronic fatigue syndrome/ME patients suggests ME/CFS involves heightened Th2 activity.]

To read the full text of this article free, CLICK HERE.

Abstract: A simple self-test principle is described which allows patients to evaluate their Th1/Th2 balance repeatedly over short periods of time to follow-up the effects of taking pre- and probiotics, neutraceuticals, drugs or any other therapeutic strategy to balance Th1/Th2 status.

By analyzing a large number of first morning urine samples obtained from individuals with medical conditions associated with an overactive Th2 arm (ulcerative colitis, autism, blastocystis, mercury poisoning and viral infection), a reaction principle was discovered that uses a redox-active colorimetric substrate changing color upon reaction with metabolites present at high concentration in the urine samples of Th2-shifted individuals.

The development of color is time-dependent and quantitative.

Moreover, 75% of urine samples obtained from chronic fatigue/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients produced a time-dependent and quantitative change of color compared to only 4% of the controls (perfectly healthy population), providing evidence that chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is a condition associated with an overactive Th2 arm.

Source: Journal of Medical Laboratory and Diagnosis, Feb 2012. By Roelant C, De Meirleir K. Protea Biopharma N.V., Neder-Over-Heembeek, Belgium; Department of Human Physiology, Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium. [Email: croelant@proteabiopharma.com]

Awesome - thanks! Hopefully this can be ordered soon and we can so some tally of whether this hypothesis holds up (for PR members at least).

Wait, I went to their website and it shows the usual H2S urine test. I took that one and it was negative, so no news here..

Mellster,

Where did you see that? I was just going to ask if anyone knows if this self testing is available yet?

Yes, Mellster, please post a link to the website. Thanks

I googled proteopharma and they have a cfs/me urine test on their website that looks just like the one in the article (pdf version available for download) you referenced - same colors and stuff. And this is their H2S test which I took some time ago and there was no h2s detected (at least not within the given time interval). http://www.proteabiopharma.com/page/cfs-me.php

This lab--Proteabiopharma looks like it's in Belgium right? Is there somewhere in the US that does the same test?

It's the same old H2S test from De Meirleir, isn't it? The one that was launched at a London conference a few years ago, and which other researchers/physicians seem less than enthusiastic about?

Yeah, looks like it - it didn't show positive for me (though I had plenty of gut issues at that time). But maybe if enough people on this forum could take this simple and relatively inexpensive test (even if shipped from Europe), maybe we can get a better feel about the predictive value of H2S in urine for CFS.

Are you syre that this is the same test? I agree that the pictures look the same as far as how to test but, it says that this test is for metabolites. Is this the same as th1-th2 testing?

No, I am not sure - would be nice if this was a different, more specific test for Th1/Th2 imbalance. I guess we'll see, maybe somebody can shoot them an email and ask

Id definately take this test if it is a new one.
The old one doesnt sound reliable.

It says

So if you do this test, and it changes colour, you should not drink green tea?

Hi, all.

The full text of the paper on this new test can be found here:

http://www.academicjournals.org/JMLD/contents/2012 cont/Feb.htm

Best regards,

Rich

Hi Rich - do you know if this is the same test as the neurotoxic metabolite test that some of us did a couple of years ago?

Sushi, thanks for finding and posting this! Like you, I shall regret that green tea seems to be on the wrong side of our case--and I just bought some good macha tea because I like it! Best, Chris