Showing posts with label multiple chemical sensitivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multiple chemical sensitivity. Show all posts

April 12, 2023

The Proposed Mechanism for Multiple (body system) Chemical Sensitivity

It's popularly known as Multiple Chemical  Sensitivity (aka MCS.)
However, the diagnostic title does NOT refer to the phenomenon of
sensitivity to multiple chemicals.  It refers to chemical sensitivity
simultaneously afflicting multiple body systems, and not merely
one of them.

Concerning sensitivity to multiple chemicals, that phenomenon had long
since been proven to be real in cases of asthma, sinusitis, rhinitis, vocal
cord dysfunction, dermatitis, and a medical condition known as Reactive
Airways Dysfunction Syndrome.

The 21st Century's proposed mechanism for MCS identifies two general
categories of chemical sensitivity.  They are Central Chemical Sensitiv-
ity and Peripheral Chemical Sensitivity.  The outline goes as follows:

Central Chemical Sensitivity

This type of chemical sensitivity involves the central nervous system, and
it's triggering point is proposed to be found in chemoreceptor activation
(action potential.)

Specific chemoreceptors, upon their activation, elevate nitric oxide levels
in the body.  The nitric oxide reacts with superoxide, producing peroxy-
nitrite.

While the nitric oxide is engaged in producing peroxynitrite, it is simul-
taneously engaged in an additional function.  This function is "retrograde
signaling."

Nitric oxide's role in retrograde signaling is proposed to be that of send-
ing an electrical signal to the presynapse cells, thereby stimulating the re-
lease of  two types of neurotransmitters.  The  two types are glutamate
and aspartate.

Those types of neurotransmitters then stimulate receptors in the post
synaptic cells, known as N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors.  Abbreviat-
ted "NMDA receptors", they react by producing nitric oxide from their
own sites, thereby maintaining the inordinately high level of nitric oxide
already present.  Nitric oxide's ample presence proceeds to maintain the
inordinately high levels of  peroxynitrite.

While the NMDA receptors maintain an elevated nitric oxide level, per-
oxynitrite is engaged in causing the cells that contain those receptors to
be depleted of their energy pools.  Adenosine triphosphate is what's be-
ing depleted in the process.  Now, ATP is the carrier of energy in all liv-
ing organisms, and peroxynitrite inhibits mitochondrial function.  There-
for, it inhibits the production of ATP.

When cells containing NMDA receptors become deprived of their ener-
gy pool's replenishment, the NMDA receptors become hypersensitive to
stimulation.  And while the cells containing NMDA receptors are being
deprived of energy replenishment, peroxynitrite is engaged in yet another
process; that of  breaking down the blood brain barrier.  This enables in-
creased chemical access to the brain.

Meanwhile, nitric oxide performs yet another function; that of  inhibit-
ing cytochrome P450 activity.  Therefore, nitric oxide is proposed to
inhibit the process by which chemicals get metabolized and become
harmless.  The result is heightened sensitivity to chemical exposure.

The aforementioned scenario was proposed by Dr. Martin L. Pall, of
the School of  Molecular Biosciences of  Washington State.  The afore-
mentioned scenario is called "a vicious cycle mechanism"  and a paper
written by Dr. Pall which describes this vicious cycle.

http://www.allergyresearchgroup.com/Explaining-by-Martin-Pall-PhD-sp-35.html 

Vanilloid Receptor TRPV1

Recently added to this proposed mechanism is the first member of the
Vanilloid Receptor family, TRPV1.  The involvement of  TRPV1 in
MCS is the subject of a paper written by Drs. Pall and Julius Ander-
son, M.D., Ph.D., of West Hartford, Vermont;   The Vanilloid Re-
ceptor as the Putative Target of Diverse Chemicals in Multple 
Chemical Sensitivity.  The bibliographical citation for it is Arch
Environ Health. 2004 Jul;59(7):363-75.

The vanilloid receptor is implicated as a major target for a number of
chemicals which can activate it.  Therefore, vanilloid receptor activa-
tion is proposed to be the point where the vicious cycle begins.  The
vanilloid receptor paper also addresses the phenomenon of  masking,
a phenomenon duly noted in Central Chemical Sensitivity. 

    The Phenomenon of Masking is actually Dephosphorylation

Masking is the phenomenon where a chemical exposure scenario gets
muted at the outset by the overshadowing effect of  a previous and dif-
ferent one.  That same chemical exposure would have resulted in a not-
able adverse reaction if  it were the first one of that day.  The same ex-
posure will result in an adverse reaction when it becomes the first one,
on some future day.  The masking effect muted the presence of  that
specific chemical exposure for that particular day.

Masking is liken to drinking scalding coffee.  After having done so, ev-
en cold water gives a scalding effect.  Yet, if the cold water were taken
before the scalding coffee, it would have no ill effect.  Thus, after having
been exposed to one incitant (trigger), there is an inability to differentiate
between things to which you are hyper-reactive and things to which you
are not.

The authors of  the vanilloid receptor paper propose that masking occurs
during a cyclic phase known as dephosphorylation.  It's a phase triggered
by Ca2+ calmodulin phosphatease calcineurin.  Vanilloid receptor activity
is decreased during that phase; the "desensitization" phase.  Conversely,
it is during the alternate phase, the one known as phosphorylation, when
vanilloid receptor activity increases, and hypersensitivity reactions resume.
Therefore, the phosphorylation state determines the activity or inactivity
(desensitization) of  the vanilloid receptors.

In addition to the paper that Martin Pall co-authored, there is an article
on the vanilloid receptor that he individually authored.  Titled, Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity: towards the end of  controversy.  It was pub-
lished in the August/September 2005 edition of  Townsend Letter for
Doctors and Patients.  It can be accessed by clicking on the following
web address:

http://academic.research.microsoft.com/Paper/6500302

Now, the proposed mechanism of Dr. Pall is a hypothesis.  It is a hypo-
thesis which involves intricate details and intricate mapping.  This means
that the objective medical findings of chemically sensitive patients contin-
ue to carry the sole weight in proving that chemical sensitivity is a physi-
ological condition and not a psychiatric one.

The objective medical findings include instances of  anaphylaxis triggered
by nontoxic/ambient/therapeutic levels of  chemical-bearing agents.  The
findings include cases where two entirely different species of  localized
chemical sensitivity were found co-existing in the same one patient, and
such co-existence hints of the authentic existence of  MCS. 

Peripheral Chemical Sensitivity

This general type of chemical sensitivity is proposed to involve the per-
ipheral tissues.  Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome is placed in
this category, as is Reactive Upper-airways Dysfunction Syndrome.
The contact sensitivity conditions, such as Airborne Irritant Contact
Dermatitis, are also placed in this category, as is Occupational Asth-
ma due to low-weight molecular agents..

This type of chemical sensitivity is proposed to involve neurogenic in
flammation.  One can obtain more information on this type of chemi-
cal sensitivity by clicking on the following links:

Hypothesis for Induction and Propagation of 
Chemical Sensitivity Based on Biopsy Studies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1469810/

Neurogenic Inflammation and Sensi-

tivity to Environmental Chemicals.

http://www.herc.org/news/mcsarticles/meggs-full.html
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April 6, 2023

Yale, Johns Hopkins, Mt. Sinai Hospital and the MCS Diagnosis




Stephen Barret MD is a never-board-certified psychiatrist of early retire-
ment.  He has zero experience as a practicing physician.  He obsessively
asserted that the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity diagnosis is an act of mal-
practice given to those who are merely mentally ill.  He then called Sick
Building Syndrome (SBS) a "fad diagnosis."  He additionally stated that
the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity diagnosis is the fabrication of a "small
cadre of physicians" who identify themselves as "clinical ecologists."  Of
course, this has been a falsehood, all along.  In fact, his anti-chemical
sensitivity article was originally titled, "Unproven allergies."  Well, those
allergies were proven long before he wrote his defamatory article.  To-
day, chemical allergies can be ascertained through the RAST Test.  They
used to be identified through stick prick testing, just like any other allergy.

The Induced Deceptions

Barrett's literature can easily deceive ant novice into assuming that the
MCS diagnosis has yet to be given at an Occupational & Environmen-
tal health clinic, as well as at any world renown medical institution.  Be-
ing that Barrett associated SBS with MCS, it leaves a novice to assume
the same things about Sick Building Syndrome.  Barrett's assertions call
for a response.

The Response

The Association of  Occupational & Environmental Clinics posts updat-
ed profiles of  its members, in State-by-State directory form.  In each
AOEC profile, mention is made of  the profiled member clinic's Most
Common Occupational Diagnoses & Most Common  Environment-
al Diagnoses.  Placed into focus at this point are the AOEC members
listed directly below.  The profile of each one dates from May 2008
to November 2011.

{1}  the world renowned Yale University,
{2}  the world renowned Mount Sinai,
{3}  The world renowned Johns Hopkins University.
{4}  The West Virginia school, Marshall University.

{1}  In the AOEC directory for the State of Connecticut, the second
       member profiled is the Yale University Occupational and Envir-
       onmental Health Clinic.  For years, it marked as one of its Most
       Common Environmental Diagnoses, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
       At this present time, it simply states it to be Chemical Sensitivity,
       without the word, "multiple."

See:   http://www.aoec.org/content/directory_CT.htm

      This can be additionally confirmed at the following Yale University
      web address, under the heading, Chemical Sensitivites:

See:   http://medicine.yale.edu/intmed/occmed/clinical/index.aspx

{2}  We next go to the State of New York. The fourth clinic profiled
        in the New York directory is The Mount Sinai Irving J. Selikoff 
        Center. Among its three Most Common Environmental Diagnoses
        is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.  In fact, the Occupational Health 
       Clinical Centers, located in Syracuse, New York, also has Multiple 
       Chemical Sensitivity marked as one of its most common environ-
       mental diagnosis.  In addition, the Long Island Occupational and
       Environmental Health Center, in Medford NY, has MCS marked
       as one of its two most common environmental diagnoses.

See: http://www.aoec.org/content/directory_NY.htm

{3} Next comes Johns Hopkins' Division of Occupational and Envi-
      ronmental Medicine.  According to the AOEC directory for the
      State of Maryland, among Johns Hopkins most common envi-
      ronmental diagnosis is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Seehttp://www.aoec.org/content/directory_MD.htm

Furthermore, a notable number of AOEC members have Sick Build-
ing Syndrome listed among their most common diagnoses.  This in-
cludes:

[] Presbyterian Occupational Medicine Clinic (Albuquerque),
[] The University of Washington Harborview Medical Ctr,
[] The University of Iowa Department of Internal Medicine,
[] Georgia Occup. & Environ. Toxicology Clinic (Atlanta),
[] The University of Stony Brook School of Medicine, 
[] University of California-Davis Medical Center
[] The University of Illinois - Chicago,
[] Wayne State University (Detroit),
[] The University of Pittsburgh,
[] Johns Hopkins, as was previously mentioned.

  Note:  The University of Maryland School of Medicine, Boston's
  Children's Hospital, and Boston University's clinic marks among
  their most common occupational diagnoses Building Related 
  Disease/Illness. 

In addition, a number of AOEC members have Indoor Air Quality
listed among their most common diagnoses. For example, the world
renown Duke Medical Center has Indoor Air Quality Assessment
listed among its most common diagnoses, while Yale University
has Indoor Air Quality Problems listed.

The 21st Century proposed mechanism for MCS does not come from
the world of the "clinical ecologist."  It comes from a school of molec-
ular bio-sciences via an American university.  The expanded diagram
of that proposed mechanism mentions, in a favorable light, the conclu-
sions about chemical sensitivity which come from the school of  emer-
gency medicine of  yet another American university.  In fact, findings
in chemical sensitivity also come from the technologically advanced
nations of  Germany, Sweden, Austria, France, Italy, South Korea,
Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan.
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