Seeking comments on blood tests

[Andrew]

I'd like to hear reactions or suggestions regarding these tests.

% NK Cells in blood (CD16, CD56+/CD3) is 22.34 (normal is 6-20%)
Total T Cell (CD3+) count is 340 (normal is 750-2310/cmm).
Lytic Unit 30% (LU30) is 2 (normal range is 8 – 170).
CD 19 Absolute Count is 100 (normal is 110-660/cmm)
CD4 absolute count is 210 (normal is 310-1470/cmm).
CD8 absolute count is 110 (normal is 150-1240/cmm.
Elastase is 602 (normal is <140/mg extract).
Interleukin 6 circulating levels is 128.8 (normal is < 24 pg/mL.
Interleukin 8 is 284.1 (normal is < 14 pg/mL).
Nitric Oxide Synthase Assay is 36.8 (normal is < 27 %)
RNase-L Activity Assay is 210 (normal is <50)
RNase-L Protein Quantitation is 9.0 (normal is < 2.0)

These are only the results that were not normal. The tests are from VIPDX from their CFS panel and Cytokin panel.

 

[anne]

My reaction is this person probably has CFS. That IL-8 has a real correlation with CFS, as do the suppressed NK cells (in the Lytic Unit--the % being high is atypical,I think) , the low T cells, and the RnaseL. I would suggest if this person doesn't feel well they do a thorough viral panel because their body isn't going to be able to fight anything off.

ETA: The last science class I took was Genetics senior year of high school. I'm sure someone who knows more can chime in.

 

[richvank]

Hi, Andrew.

I agree with Anne. Probably the reason your NK cell % is up is because your T cell counts are so low. With low T-cell counts, your cell-mediated immune response is below normal. With both low NK activity and low T-cell counts, your defenses against viral infections are low. That accounts for your elevated RNase-L. The RNase-L is supposed to be a stop-gap measure that fights a holding action to suppress the viruses until the cavalry in the form of the adaptive cell-mediated reponse arrives, takes over, and kills the virus-infected cells. However, your cavalry is not doing so hot, leaving RNase-L holding the bag. The elevations of elastase, IL-6, IL-8 and NOS indicate that your innate immune system has detected invaders, and is sounding the alarm and trying to mobilize defensive forces and bring them to the site or sites of infection. There is an ongoing inflammation reaction, trying to fight the invaders, but it is not sufficient. Without an effective cell-mediated immune response, what develops is a guerrilla war, and nobody really wins. The good thing is that you stay alive, but the bad thing is that you don't get well.

So what's messing up the cell-mediated immune system's ability to respond properly? In the GD--MCB hypothesis, the main factor is glutathione depletion, which has been observed in lab tests, and which is known to suppress cell-mediated immunity. An additional factor is the draining of folate metabolites out of the cells as a result of the "methyl trap" mechanism that comes into play because of the partial block in the methyation cycle. Low folate causes inhibition of the synthesis of new DNA and RNA, and these are needed to proliferate new T cells.

What caused the depletion of glutathione? There are a lot of possibilities. It may be that a viral (or maybe a retroviral) infection caused the initial depletion of glutathione. It could also be that other stressors (physical, chemical, biological and/or psychological/emotional) contributed. Once glutathione drops low enough, it sets up the partial methylation cycle block in a genetically predisposed person, and then the immune system and the detox system are suppressed. Then the viruses and toxins have a field day.

What do to about it? I've suggested the "Simplified Treatment Approach" for lifting the partial methylation cycle block and allowing glutathione to come back up. This has helped a lot of people. If it turns out that XMRV is the culprit in CFS, hopefully there will also be ways to go after it directly.

Best regards,

Rich