Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Are Infections Seeding Some Cases of Alzheimer’s Disease?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03084-9

Are infections seeding some cases of Alzheimer’s disease?

A fringe theory links microbes in the brain with the onset of dementia. Now, researchers are taking it seriously.
Alison Abbott

Some scientists think that microbes such as the herpes simplex virus 1 (shown here on an epithelial cell) could trigger some cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Credit: SPL

Two years ago, immunologist and medical-publishing entrepreneur Leslie Norins offered to award US$1 million of his own money to any scientist who could prove that Alzheimer’s disease was caused by a germ.

The theory that an infection might cause this form of dementia has been rumbling for decades on the fringes of neuroscience research. The majority of Alzheimer’s researchers, backed by a huge volume of evidence, think instead that the key culprits are sticky molecules in the brain called amyloids, which clump into plaques and cause inflammation, killing neurons. (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Important quote:

Several microbes have been proposed as triggers of Alzheimer’s, including three human herpes viruses and three bacteria: Chlamydia pneumoniae, a cause of lung infections; Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease; and, most recently, Porphyromonas gingivalis, which leads to gum disease. In theory, any infectious agent that can invade the brain could have this trigger role (there’s no good evidence, however, that SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, has this ability).

It’s also sad that Alzheimer’s research has been pigeon-holed for so long:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/05/the-maddening-saga-of-how-an-alzheimers-cabal-thwarted-progress-toward-a-cure-for-decades/,  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/14/what-causes-alzheimers-not-toxic-amyloid-new-study-suggests/

This article contains Norrins’ paper in the comment section. The article above states there are 40 studies in the cue vying for the 1 million cash prize in March, when the challenge results will be announced:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/23/a-turning-point-in-alzheimers-disease-microbes-matter/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/23/a-turning-point-in-alzheimers-disease-microbes-matter/

Category:

Alzheimer's, Lyme, research, Viruses

Danish Newspaper Reveals Largest Study on Masks Has Been Rejected By 3 Medical Journals

To understand how biased medical journals have become, please read this important article and learn that medical journals and 86% of clinical trials are funded by Big Pharma, turning journal articles into little more than marketing machines.  The COVID debacle clearly showed this in action.  Independent research, or those defying the narrative simply could either not get their work published or it was retracted.

https://www.theblaze.com/op-ed/horowitz-danish-newspaper-reveals-largest-study-masks-rejected

Horowitz: Danish newspaper reveals largest study on masks has been rejected by 3 medical journals

‘The study and its size are unique in the world,’ one study author told the paper

By Daniel Horowitz

October 22, 2020

Why not just conduct a randomized controlled trial to test whether masks work against COVID-19? Why assume such a draconian and dehumanizing mandate works as if it’s an article of faith and create such division when we can discover which side is correct? That’s what a group of Danish researchers felt, which is why, over the spring, they conducted such a study. So why have the results not been published, three months later? According to one Danish newspaper, the study has been rejected by three medical journals because the results are too controversial.

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**Comment**

Important excerpts:

The article reveals that, thus far, the study has been rejected by the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA, three of the publications that have been posting much of the research on coronavirus.

The CDC, prior to changing its position on universal mask-wearing, had previously cited 10 randomized controlled trials that showed “no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks.” 

The phobia among the political elites against subjecting mask-wearing mandates to the scientific method is not surprising. In July, Dr. Fauci told a group of Georgetown University students that he has no intention of conducting a controlled study in the U.S.

Yet this same Fauci has no trouble peddling his expensive antiviral Remdesivir, of which he:

  • sponsored the clinical trial for, and obtained EUA status before being peer-reviewed
  • still has not made public his financial relations with Gilead, the manufacturer 
  • instead of using science, he made the promotional announcement sitting on a couch in the White House, without allowing for review of the data.
  • at the time he also failed to disclose to the public that the primary outcomes of the study were changed, which the AHRF considers “dubious and suspicious”, of which the mainstream media ignored, but should raise serious red flags  
  • shrugged off a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center peer-reviewed, published Chinese study that was stopped due to serious adverse events  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/30/anthony-fauci-40-years-of-lies-from-azt-to-remdesivir/
Are we really surprised when science comes out defying the accepted narrative?  

These same people have been getting away with murder for over 40 years:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/26/cdc-playbook-learning-from-lyme/

I recently posted on how medical journals are bought out: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/05/top-medical-journal-caught-in-massive-cover-up/ (See comment section as well)

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/12/former-french-health-minister-blows-whistle-criminal-pressure-from-bigpharma-on-publications-means-theres-no-longer-any-real-science/

Category:

Activism, research, Viruses

Imaging of Lyme Neuroborreliosis: A Pictorial Review

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7566400/

. 2020 Oct; 7(10): ofaa370.
Published online 2020 Aug 19. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa370
PMCID: PMC7566400
PMID: 33094114

Imaging of Lyme Neuroborreliosis: A Pictorial Review

Adam Garkowski,1 Urszula Łebkowska,1 Bożena Kubas,2 Ewa Garkowska,1 Katarzyna Rutka,1Elwira Gawarecka,1 and Joanna Zajkowska3

Abstract

Lyme neuroborreliosis is a common feature of Borrelia burgdorferi infection (as a neurological manifestation occurring in 10%–15% of all Lyme disease cases) and may involve any part of the nervous system, and its coverings, but usually manifests as lymphocytic meningitis, cranial neuritis, and/or radiculoneuritis. This review describes the imaging findings in Lyme neuroborreliosis: the focal point is on the manifestations of involvement visible on brain and spine imaging.

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**Comment**

Clarification: Far more than 10-15% have neurological manifestations.  They also show “typical” EM rashes when many rashes are atypical:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/18/misdiagnosis-of-lyme-caused-rash-can-have-potentially-fatal-consequences/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/02/lyme-disease-a-bioethical-morass/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/21/lyme-disease-dont-wait-for-blood-tests-where-patients-have-bullseye-rash/

The findings report the appearance of nonspecific lesions with inflammation as well as lymphocytic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Key quote:

It is possible that LNB may also mimic atypical dementia and normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Category:

Lyme, research

Robust SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cell Immunity is Maintained at 6 Months Following Primary Infection

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.01.362319v1

Robust SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell immunity is maintained at 6 months following primary infection

Jianmin Zuo, Alex Dowell, Hayden Pearce, Kriti Verma, Heather Long, Jusnara Begum, Felicity Aiano, Zahin Amin-Chowdhury, Bassam Hallis, Lorrain Stapley, Ray Borrow, Ezra Linley, Shazaad Ahmad, Ben Parker, Alex Horsley, Gayatri Amirthalingam, Kevin Brown, Mary E Ramsay, Shamez Ladhani, Paul Moss
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.01.362319
This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].

Abstract

The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 is critical in both controlling primary infection and preventing re-infection. However, there is concern that immune responses following natural infection may not be sustained and that this may predispose to recurrent infection. We analysed the magnitude and phenotype of the SARS-CoV-2 cellular immune response in 100 donors at six months following primary infection and related this to the profile of antibody level against spike, nucleoprotein and RBD over the previous six months. T-cell immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 were present by ELISPOT or ICS analysis in all donors and are characterised by predominant CD4+ T cell responses with strong IL-2 cytokine expression. Median T-cell responses were 50% higher in donors who had experienced an initial symptomatic infection indicating that the severity of primary infection establishes a set-point for cellular immunity that lasts for at least 6 months. The T-cell responses to both spike and nucleoprotein/membrane proteins were strongly correlated with the peak antibody level against each protein. The rate of decline in antibody level varied between individuals and higher levels of nucleoprotein-specific T cells were associated with preservation of NP-specific antibody level although no such correlation was observed in relation to spike-specific responses. In conclusion, our data are reassuring that functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses are retained at six months following infection although the magnitude of this response is related to the clinical features of primary infection.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/08/17/robust-t-cell-immunity-in-convalescent-individuals-with-asymptomatic-or-mild-covid-19/

lymphocytes from 20–50% of unexposed donors display significant reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 antigen peptide pools1,2,3,4.

In conclusion, it is now established that SARS-CoV-2 pre-existing immune reactivity exists to some degree in the general population.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/10/coronavirus-why-everyone-was-wrong/  Excerpt:

  1. Firstly, it was wrong to claim that this virus was novel.

  2. Secondly, It was even more wrong to claim that the population would not already have some immunity against this virus.

  3. Thirdly, it was the crowning of stupidity to claim that someone could have Covid-19 without any symptoms at all or even to pass the disease along without showing any symptoms whatsoever.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/11/02/what-sage-has-got-wrong/  Excerpt:

SAGE made – and continues to make – two fatal errors in its assessment of the SAR-CoV-2 pandemic, rendering its predictions wildly inaccurate, with disastrous results. These errors led SAGE to conclude that the pandemic is still in its early stages, with the vast majority (93%) of the UK population remaining susceptible to infection and that, in the absence of more action, a very high number of deaths will occur.

  • Error 1: Assuming that 100% of the population was susceptible to the virus and that no pre-existing immunity existed.
  • Error 2: The belief that the percentage of the population that has been infected can be determined by surveying what fraction of the population has antibodies.
Both of these points run entirely counter to known science regarding viruses

http://

Sunetra Gupta Takes on Deepti Gurdasanti Regarding Herd Immunity

Although mainstream media have been terming Deepti Gurdasani an “epidemiologist” and “peer” of Sunetra Gupta, (who is a Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford), her LinkedIn profile [1] and academic page [2] indicate this may be a weak claim. Her present role is “Senior Lecturer Machine Learning”. In any case, her publications to date [2] appear irrelevant to SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.   For more on viruses and herd immunity:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/10/31/covid-19-exposed/

Category:

research, Viruses

Heading to Finland to Find Ways to Accurately Diagnose Tick-Borne Diseases

https://www.lookingatlyme.ca/2020/10/s1-e14-heading-to-finland-to-find-ways-to-accurately-diagnose-tick-borne-diseases/

Heading to Finland to find ways to accurately diagnose tick-borne diseases

EPISODES / BY

In this episode Sarah talks with Canadian researcher Dr.Leona Gilbert, originally from Thunder Bay, and currently living in Finland. Dr. Gilbert tells us about an interaction with a patient that led her to focus on testing for Lyme disease. She points to research showing that patients who suffer from long term effects of Lyme disease often test positive for multiple microbes. 

Tickplex is a diagnostic kit that tests for six different forms of borrelia, ten other forms of microbes as well as antibodies which correlate to three different disease stages – all in one test! Dr. Gilbert explains the benefit to this method (also known as polymicrobial theory) over testing for one microbe with one antibody at a time. She points out that many long time sufferers of Lyme disease and co-infections are unable to build an adequate immune response to these microbes, but with treatment their immune system starts to respond and is then able to create antibodies. Research is also showing that outcomes are much better for those patients who are diagnosed early, tested for multiple microbes and then treated. She also talks about how multiplex testing is identifying patients who are “shining up” due to a hyperactive immune system.

“We need to let the science drive us and let the needs of the patient also influence where we’re going with the science as well.”

Dr. Leona Gilbert

Dr. Gilbert explains that polymicrobial theory, although accepted in other disease models, will take time to be accepted in relation to Lyme disease and points out the importance of creating individual treatment protocols based on multiple microbe testing as well. She strongly believes that both the science and the needs of the patient should drive researchers and points out that her group collaborates with patient groups, advocacy groups, scientific groups, as well as national and international organizations. 

Dr. Gilbert explains for us the difference between co-infections and opportunistic infections and touches on the role of decreased immune function and opportunistic infections in Lyme patients.

Find out more about our forthcoming educator resource!

Did you know that Lyme bacteria can persist even after treatment? Dr. Gilbert outlines research done not only in the lab, but also in animals and in humans that proves that persister forms of Borrelia exist despite antibiotic treatments. She discusses some of the theories behind how borrelia is able to evade treatment, including within biofilms, by transforming into round body forms and by moving into certain places in the body. Dr. Gilbert talks about other research that’s happening to better understand these persister forms. She explains how we can access the Tickplex test from overseas.

“People that have been sick for a very long time, even five to ten years, that they actually can’t even build up an immune response to actually resolve these microbes.”

Dr. Leona Gilbert

Sarah Cormode and Dr. Leona Gilbert talk tick-borne illness and diagnosis.

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/e19ec32c-499b-4cbf-9f63-62471b78ceac  (Listen Here)

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**Comment**

Gilbert was part of the group that found a high probability of patients being infected with multiple pathogens.

For more:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/

Excerpt:

For the first time, Garg et al. show a 85% probability for multiple infections including not only tick-borne pathogens but also opportunistic microbes such as EBV and other viruses.

Additionally, 83% of all TBD diagnostic tests performed by the commercial laboratories in the USA accounted for only LD. Globally, the commercial laboratories’ ability to diagnose LD has increased by merely 4% (weighted mean for ELISA sensitivity 62.3%) in the last 20 years. This study provides evidence regarding polymicrobial infections in patients suffering from different stages of TBDs. Literature analyses and results from this study followed Hill’s criteria indicating a causal association between TBD patients and polymicrobial infections. Also, the study outcomes indicate that patients may not adhere to traditional IgM and IgG responses.

This is groundbreaking information that doesn’t get any recognition.

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks