richvank;229850 said:
Hi, greenshots.
You're right. If a person is within the 25% of the population that is vulnerable to developing biotoxin illness, it is very tough for them to avoid exposure to these toxins. There are people who live in RVs and tents and who travel around seeking a location in which they can feel relatively well. Check some of the posts by Lisa (Slayadragon).
And yes, it's the same HLA that is tested for in organ transplants. HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen. In mice, it's called the MHC (major histocompatibility complex).
The HLA comes in three classes. The important one for biotoxin illness is Class II. The role of the HLA complex is to display pieces of protein (sort of like flags) on the external surface of cells called antigen-presenting cells. The helper-T cells (CD4 lymphocytes) interrogate these "flags," and if they find the one they are programmed to protect against, they activate the immune system and knock it out. The problem in biotoxin illness is that some people have inherited genotypes of the HLA Class II complex that are not able to effectively display antigens from biotoxins, such as are produced by certain molds and bacteria found in water-damaged buildings. As a result, the immune system is not able to detect these toxins, and then they build up to a point where other parts of the immune system (the innate immune system) respond. Unfortunately, this leads to a sequence of events that produce biotoxin illness. Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker has studied this sequence for several years, and has developed treatments to correct it, but as you have suggested, it is still necessary for a person with this vulnerability to avoid exposure to these toxins.
Best regards,
Rich
You're right. If a person is within the 25% of the population that is vulnerable to developing biotoxin illness, it is very tough for them to avoid exposure to these toxins. There are people who live in RVs and tents and who travel around seeking a location in which they can feel relatively well. Check some of the posts by Lisa (Slayadragon).
And yes, it's the same HLA that is tested for in organ transplants. HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen. In mice, it's called the MHC (major histocompatibility complex).
The HLA comes in three classes. The important one for biotoxin illness is Class II. The role of the HLA complex is to display pieces of protein (sort of like flags) on the external surface of cells called antigen-presenting cells. The helper-T cells (CD4 lymphocytes) interrogate these "flags," and if they find the one they are programmed to protect against, they activate the immune system and knock it out. The problem in biotoxin illness is that some people have inherited genotypes of the HLA Class II complex that are not able to effectively display antigens from biotoxins, such as are produced by certain molds and bacteria found in water-damaged buildings. As a result, the immune system is not able to detect these toxins, and then they build up to a point where other parts of the immune system (the innate immune system) respond. Unfortunately, this leads to a sequence of events that produce biotoxin illness. Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker has studied this sequence for several years, and has developed treatments to correct it, but as you have suggested, it is still necessary for a person with this vulnerability to avoid exposure to these toxins.
Best regards,
Rich
