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Have the results of Dr Chia's ME/CFS interferon treatment actually proven enterovirus causes ME/CFS?

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I think he’s been around ~30 years (less time than Cheney?).

Dr Chia, who worked as an infectious disease specialist originally, got interested in enteroviruses and ME/CFS when his son developed ME/CFS from an enterovirus infection in 1997. So he's been involved in ME/CFS for around 20 years.

Have you ever been tested for enterovirus infection at ARUP Lab?
 

Stretched

Senior Member
Messages
705
Location
U.S. Atlanta
Dr Chia, who worked as an infectious disease specialist originally, got interested in enteroviruses and ME/CFS when his son developed ME/CFS from an enterovirus infection in 1997. So he's been involved in ME/CFS for around 20 years.

Have you ever been tested for enterovirus infection at ARUP Lab?
Don’t think so, re ARUP.

You’re probably right but I wonder if his tenure around viruses could be longer? I have some of older papers but not sure of date other than he was not one of the early clan. He appears late 60’s +/-. ‘Still a long time just breaching the periphery of all this without major, ubiquitous progress. I hope he hits soon.

His son was actually cured of his malaise. I understand the son and Chia’s wife are also doctors and work nearby in lab at UCLA (rumored).
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I have some of older papers but not sure of date other than he was not one of the early clan.

All the early research on enterovirus-associated ME/CFS was done in the UK, from the 1970s to around 2000. I posted a list of these early enterovirus papers here.

Unfortunately all this good work in the UK died out, as the Britain swung from biomedical viral research on ME/CFS, to all that bullshit and unscientific stuff on psychological causes of ME/CFS. So now with the UK out of the picture, and mired in psychobabble, it's mainly only Dr Chia who is holding the fort on the ME/CFS enterovirus research.
 

Stretched

Senior Member
Messages
705
Location
U.S. Atlanta
All the early research on enterovirus-associated ME/CFS was done in the UK, from the 1970s to around 2000. I posted a list of these early enterovirus papers here.

Nice work, which I had not seen. I should have known,). You must have an anthology that makes your ‘puter fat :confused: I don’t see how you do it all, from a number of perspectives, not the least being CFS.
 

knackers323

Senior Member
Messages
1,625
I have intermittent monocytosis and chronic eosinophilia. ESR ranges between 0 and 2 as is common in ME.

My immune markers all tend to be normal, however the tests this recent dr ordered do show a very slightly elevated monocytes result.
I've also tested slightly high for magalase which can be an indication of an infection.

Too much is put in testing anyway. It's a useful guide but many Drs see it as infallible, which it isn't.

Regardless it would be interesting to know if any immune or inflammation markers are abnormal in those with suspected low grade entero and other infections, especially those that have improved from treatment.

I may show little abnormality on tests but I've experienced impressive improvements from things that effect the immune system, usually within hours and on multiple times. This shows testing has its limitations

I've been taking epivir and starting to get a sore throat. If it's related, is this a normal indication of it working?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
Aren't the tests from ARUP in the $700 range? Does insurance cover it?

The coxsackievirus B and echovirus tests at ARUP are each around $440. But these antibody tests by the neutralization method that ARUP offer are the only blood tests that Dr Chia found are sensitive enough to reliably detect chronic enterovirus infections in ME/CFS. I don't know about US insurance, as I am in the UK.
 

junkcrap50

Senior Member
Messages
1,330
The coxsackievirus B and echovirus tests at ARUP are each around $440. But these antibody tests by the neutralization method that ARUP offer are the only blood tests that Dr Chia found are sensitive enough to reliably detect chronic enterovirus infections in ME/CFS. I don't know about US insurance, as I am in the UK.
Right. That's what I thought they were priced around. Even if tested positive for enterovirus via the microneutralization method ARUP uses, there doesn't seem to be many treatment options for enterovirus infections. It seems like oxymatrine (Equilibrant) and immune modulation are the only tools for it.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
Even if tested positive for enterovirus via the microneutralization method ARUP uses, there doesn't seem to be many treatment options for enterovirus infections. It seems like oxymatrine (Equilibrant) and immune modulation are the only tools for it.

Yes, oxymatrine is the mainstay of enterovirus treatment at present, and there is not much else. But oxymatrine can bring major improvements, by which I mean it can easily move you up 1 level on the ME/CFS scale of mild, moderate and severe (for example, move you from severe to moderate).

Dr Chia also uses Epivir as an off-label enterovirus antiviral, but the benefits are only modest in comparison to oxymatrine.
 

knackers323

Senior Member
Messages
1,625
How does Immunoglobulin fair as a treatment option for enterovirus?

Is it ok to take it at the same time as epivir or oxymatrine?
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
How does Immunoglobulin fair as a treatment option for enterovirus?

I don't know if it has any special benefits for enterovirus-associated ME/CFS, but Dr Chia finds 20% or so of his ME/CFS patients respond to IVIG to some extent. Ref: 1