Autism, Yeast Candida Infections and Associated Illness’s

I provide this section as a discussion document for your hopefully open minded receptive doctor

The general principles of treatment are… to treat the infection[s] with antibiotics , control the pathogen induced inflammatory response, restore optimum levels of vits minerals amino acids etc; Restore gut flora , and stimulate the immunes system …

Treatment must be targeted and sequenced: Initially treating with antibiotics both fungal and bacterial. Simultaneously treating with angiotensin receptor blockers [Olmesartan] to control the pathogen induced destructive runaway inflammatory response. Supplementing with vitamins and minerals, amino acids ..We need normal gut flora to synthesize many vitamins in particular the B Vitamins and vitamin K …

Minerals organic acids because we need normal gut flora to cleave minerals organic acids from our food

Treating yeast with fungal antibiotics

The vast majority of autistic children have a yeast dominant yeast gut dysbiosis. As detailed previously in this site this is the major factor in the progression of the autistic condition ..To get some idea of how serous the condition is we can tap into the very experienced Dr Cranton [see references] who specialises in treating yeast infections at his Washington clinic there we see he recommends a triple antifungal therapy to cure a yeast infection. He uses two antifungal none systemic drugs Amphotericin B and Nystatin , together with a systemic antifungal Fluconazole [Diflucan] or itraconazole [Sproranox] .He prescribes all three at maximum dose the ADULT dose is typically 200mg of fluconazole . 10,000,000 units of Nystatin The author found that Terbinafine [Lamisil] which unfortunately is only licensed to treat fungal infection of the skin and nails [Candida infections 12100530] is also very effective against the Candida species with an anti-inflammatory activity in addition to it’s known effect on ergosterol biosynthesis [ interrupting growth] this mechanism may contribute to its antifungal action .

Dr Cranton treatment protocol lasts at least three months and he achieves a 35% success rate [memory] very often extended treatment is required. The author can confirm it took 17 months of treatment mainly with Terbinafine [Lamisil] 250mg per day to cure his yeast infection . The bacterial co-infections proved to be perhaps more difficult to address [see Immune system The Barrier below]. Beware of those who would have you believe that yeast “issues” can be treated by diet ,its not the case …………

This extract is from a German publication. Source British Candida Society

Do NOT attempt to treat a gut yeast overgrowth by diet and supplements alone, ie without effective anti-fungal medication

German doctors emphasise that it is not possible to starve out the yeasts. They have observed that although patients may feel better initially whenever they first begin a very strict low carbohydrate diet, these same patients have a much hard time later on if/when they relapse than they ever did at first. Their explanation is that Candida Albicans has the ability to convert its metabolism from carbohydrate to protein whenever its favourite food source becomes limited. At this stage. Candida becomes parasitic and lives off the host - that is, it forms an invasive infection within the mucus membrane

This exchange between a parent of an autistic child and the author goes a long way to confirm the gut infection link

----- Original Message ----- From: "Martín W"

Subject: ..Constipation issues: motility vs. reflex lack

One of my son’s biggest issues is constipation, he used to respond to Oxy powder for a while, but now magnesium in any form makes him nuts and don’t work. One month ago almost, he’s quit magnesium laxatives and started on 5-asa plus fluconazole plus flagyl, and although he improved overall and stools became perfect, he’s still constipated, he goes every 3 to 6 days then, we thought that that confirmed our hypothesis of lack of motility prob metal poison induced. Last time -3 days ago- we tried a glycerine sup (to avoid enema) and for our surprise it worked 3 minutes after we’ve put it in, probably just by activating a reflex. He expelled the sup first in the exact same way we had put it in since it hadn’t had enough time to melt down. A couple of blood drops came out with suppository. This event now makes us wonder if something is wrong with his sphincter making him feel a lot of pain and/or the lack of reflex is what is causing his bm low frequency. Please share your experience/ideas if consider it may help.. TIA! Martin

My reply.... As per my very good friend Gary Smith's paper, pathogens promote inflammation to hide from the immune system ...Most with IBS who have undergone a Colonoscopy examination [including myself] the inflammation is apparent. It explains the constipation side of IBS .. Our digestive system is basically a tube running through the body, inflammation of the "tube" reduces the diameter of the tube [gut] making it difficult to void the stool , faecal matter backs up increasing the volume of the stool .Treat the basic cause which is infection ..Paul

Martín W replied Dear Paul, thank you for this post, I’ve never heard something like "the constipation side of IBS" before, even gastro specialised in autism didn't agree and wouldn't try to treat constipation as you’ve suggested. I’ve discussed it with my sons ped and he accepted to try adding a round of nitazoxanide [ effective against parasites as well as some bacteria] + HBOT to the existing dose of 5-asa, then 15 days later... VOILA!!! Our son started to poo as he’d never ever before! Every day, perfect shaped, colour and smell!! This seems to end a more than 4 years fight against constipation, which includes blood, screams, violent enemas, suppositories, and of course a lot of suffering... Regards Martin

The good news is Fluconazole is effective against the Lyme spirochete , now a proven co-infection in Autism

Clinical effects of fluconazole in patients with neuroborreliosis.

Schardt FW.

Betriebsarztliche Untersuchungsstelle, Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universitat, Wurzburg, Germany. Fritz.Schardt@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de

Eleven patients with neuro-borreliosis had been treated with 200 mg fluconazole daily for 25 days after an unsuccessful therapy with antibiotics. At the end of treatment eight patients had no borreliosis symptoms and remained free of relapse in a follow-up examination one year later. In the remaining four patients, symptoms were considerably improved. At the end of therapy immune reactivity (IgM+) disappeared in three patients. Since borrelia spp. are almost exclusively localised intracellular, they may depend on certain metabolites of their eucaryotic host cell. Inhibition of P450 and other cytochromes by fluconazole may incapacitate Borrelia upon long term exposure.

PMID: 15337633 [PubMed - in process]

Treating co-infections with bacterial antibiotics

The main bacterial infections associated with autism are Borrelia [Lyme disease] and Bartonella [Cat Scratch disease ] other pathogens could be involved including viral.

The fact that infections cause the terrible symptoms of autism is not recent news .The site below dates back to 2000. The question must be , why did they withdraw treatment and let the children be again consumed by pathogens ..Drug resistance is the buzz term these days ..it rings a little hollow considering at least 70% of all antibiotics produced are used in animal “welfare”

A variety of antibiotics are used to treat these infections . Doxycycline is the drug of choice to treat Lyme. The most effective ADULT dose is considered to be between 200mg and 400mg per day .. Macrolide antibiotics like Zithromycin [Zithromax] or Clarithromycin [Biaxin] are also useful sometime bringing dramatic relief from symptoms ..this is associated more with Bartonella than Lyme .. The ADULT dose in adults is between 500mg and 1000mg per day ..

Viral infections are addressed with one of several protease inhibitors (saquinavir, ritonavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, amprenaviretc.). The point being that several types of antibiotic will address the co-infections in autism , that is at the right dose and duration ,,but the real issue is the inability of the immune system to mount a response even when the infectious load is reduced.. see below

Herxheimer reaction

The Herxheimer reaction (also known as Jarisch-Herxheimer or Herx) occurs when large quantities of toxins are released into the body as bacteria (typically Spirochetal bacteria) die, due to antibiotic treatment…. it’s a transient problem . The term Herx is the most over used word amongst the chronically ill community , every adverse reaction to some is a “Herx” ..Typically the Herxheimer reaction lasts about a week at most ..There are just not enough bacteria to fuel the effect, this may seem a contradiction ,but we are talking poisoning here ..not the damage live bacteria wreak.

Treating Destructive Inflammation

Inflammation is induced by pathogens and is another constraint on the immune system. The author can attest the effect is profound .Many of the distressing symptoms of autism are a direct result of a runaway inflammatory response .. Headaches from encephalitis [brain swelling ] are debilitating ..Dr Trevor Marshall Phd [see references Marshall protocol] before working out that pathogens were responsible for inducing encephalitis reported that he was reduced to hitting his head against a wall with the intensity of the pain , sound familiar!

The author found much relief from treating inflammation with Olmesartan an angiotensin receptor blocker .trade name Benicar in the US Olmatec in Europe . The drugs primary use and is licensed for treating hypertension The drug regulates the amount of angiotensin by blocking receptors which can be found throughout the body.

The full blockade adult dose is 40mg every eight hours

This extract is interesting …Taking Ibuprofen has a duel effect ..reducing inflammation & works as an Antifungal..It’s not a substitute for Olmesartan, but useful none-the-less

Antifungal activity of ibuprofen alone and in combination with fluconazole against Candida species.

Pina-Vaz C, Sansonetty F, Rodrigues AG, Martinez-De-Oliveira J, Fonseca AF, Mardh PA.

Department of Microbiology, Porto School of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal. micfam@ip.pt

Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, exhibited antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and non-albicans strains. At 10 mg/ml, ibuprofen showed a rapid cidal activity against exponential growth phase C. albicans, accompanied by rapid and extensive leakage of intracellular K+, permeation to propidium iodide, lysis of spheroplasts and severe membrane ultrastructural alterations. These results indicate that the killing of Candida cells is due to direct damage to the cytoplasmic membrane. At 5 mg/ml, ibuprofen inhibited growth; however, it did not kill the yeasts and did not directly affect the cytoplasmic membrane. Evaluation of yeast metabolic vitality with the fluorescent probe FUN-1 showed that growth inhibition induced by the fungistatic drug concentration was due to metabolic alterations. The combination of ibuprofen with fluconazole resulted in synergic activity with eight of the 12 Candida strains studied, including four of the five fluconazole-resistant strains. The MICs of fluconazole for the fluconazole-resistant strains decreased 2-128-fold when the drug was associated with ibuprofen. When in combination with fluconazole, MICs for ibuprofen decreased by up to 64-fold for all the 12 strains studied. These results point to the practicability of using ibuprofen, alone or in combination with azoles, in the treatment of candidosis, particularly when applied topically, taking advantage of the drug's antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

PMID: 10966233 see also PMID: 15679664 , PMID: 10952582 , PMID: 11128557 sodium salicylate

The immune system is the most micronutrient sensitive organ of the body and even modest deficiencies of say vitamin C or zinc could result in profound immune dysfunction. As a nation we are deficient in vitamin C because we do not eat adequate amounts in our diet, we are also deficient in vitamin D because of inadequate sunshine. The typical autistic child with vastly different gut flora to what is considered normal will be deficient in both minerals and vitamins.

The absorption of supplements /drugs because of the abnormal gut flora in the autistic child is not guaranteed .

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies lead to Oxidative stress, which is a sort of collapse of the bodies repair mechanism .Oxidative stress can lead to mitochondria [small intracellular bacteria] dysfunction and subsequently ATP depletion . Interlinked with Oxidative stress is a process called Methylation.. http://www.enzymestuff.com/methylation.htm

Correct levels of vits and minerals are needed to trigger gene expression to activate "turns on" detox enzyme reactions that detoxify the body of chemicals

Mitocondria manipulates oxygen in a way that liberates energy from foodstuffs. Mitochondria are very tiny- you could pack a billion into the space occupied by a grain of sand- but also very hungry .Virtually all the food and oxygen you take into your body are delivered, after processing, to the mitochondria, where they are converted into a molecule called adenosine triphosphate or ATP.

Mitochondria

You may not have heard of ATP, but it is what keeps you going ATP molecules are essentially little battery packs that move through the cell providing energy for all the cells processes, and you get through a lot of it .At any given moment, a typical cell in your body will have about one billion ATP molecules in it, and in two minutes everyone of them will have been drained dry and another billion will have taken their place. Everyday you produce and use up a volume of ATP equivalent to about half your body weight. Feel the warmth of your skin, it’s ATP at work.

Mitocondria dysfunction is also a major factor with chronic fatigue syndrome [ME] victims, which is not surprising because the two conditions are interlinked .

It’s interesting at this point to mention the fact that populations of the western world are experiencing an epidemic of essential [unexplained] Hypertension

Two recent papers one citing the relationship between oxidative stress and hypertension “These findings demonstrate a strong association between blood pressure and some oxidative stress-related parameters and suggest a possible role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension.”

PMID: 18344620 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

And this extract citing a decrease in oxidative stress through supplementing with vitamins

“The present study supports the view that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, and that enhancement of antioxidant status by supplementation with vitamins C and E in patients with essential hypertension is associated with lower BP. This suggests intervention with antioxidants as an adjunct therapy for hypertension.”

PMID: 17999638 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Which links very neatly with this following study

Children who have high blood pressureare more likely to have learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children who are not hypertensive. They are also more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), an indicator of body fat.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/05/05/adhd-associated-with-high-blood-...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6196857.stm "> Of course Obesity is linked to gut bug balance [dysbiosis]

The autistic condition is the extreme manifestation of a gut dysbiosis

The information is of course not conclusive but it would support the general theory that our gut flora generally has been downgraded by the use of antibiotics leading to impaired synthesizing of vitamins leading to poor elimination of Xenobiotics [ biologically active chemical/metal which is found in an organism but which is not normally produced or expected to be present in it. It can also cover substances which are present in much higher concentrations than are usual.

Metals act as catalysts. The presence of metals in biological systems in an uncomplicated form can significantly increase the level of oxidative stress. Interlinked with Oxidative stress is a process called methylation which is involved in regulating many cellular processes and gene switching. under-methylators are about 45% of the "autism" population. Mercury toxicity may disrupt the methylation cycle making it practically unsolvable until the metals are removed. Several common supplements often recommended for those with autism spectrum conditions are involved in this process (this is just one of the processes Vitamins and mineral supplements may help with).

Poor histamine clearance is a direct consequence of impaired Methylation.

Histamine blockers [ H2 antagonists] have proved to be effective in treating cancer . Cimetidine is a common drug used as an antacid Cimetidine works by blocking H2 receptors . This site makes interesting reading http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/cimetidine.html ">“Is Cimetidine (Tagamet) a Better Cure for Cancer?”

The main mechanism of lowering histamine is by an enzyme produced in the gut mucosa. So if you have an injured gut for whatever reason, less enzyme may be produced, and this may mean you have a lower ability to eliminate histamine. It’s known that many autistic children are contaminated with metals/pesticides, this has lead to a widespread belief that this could be the basic cause for the condition. The arguments against such a basic conclusion are simple, where are the children of just a few months old that have never been away from parental supervision acquiring these health destroying amounts of contaminants, And how do other children of the same age and living in the same environment avoid the said contaminants.

The situation strengthens the argument that we need normal gut flora to metabolise metals pesticides etc; Without a pathway to excrete contaminants we all encounter daily they build up within the body .In a mouse study it was proved intestinal micro-flora is a major factor determining the excretion rate of mercury [See.. Yeast, Genes, Enzyme production, Metal toxicity ]

Cancer is an infection .when cancer cells which we produce everyday as a normal situation fail to be gobbled up [phagocytised] by cells of our immune system. The main cells associated with this process [ Phagocytosis.] are called Macrophages they are multifunctional immune cells.

just to make the point again- our gut flora is our immune system.. how to manipulate our gut flora is the key to good health

Using micro-organisms to influence positively the course of an illness caused by injurious micro-organisms is an approach gaining more advocates. But how effective is the therapy long term? Friendly proprietary bacteria “probiotics” do have a beneficial effect when treating dysbiosis. But they do not permanently repopulate, they neither stay or even multiply in the gut, they are Transient[Despite most vendors claiming otherwise]

Research at the CFS-FM Integrative Care Centre in Toronto, Canada showed that patients with CFS have marked alterations in microbial flora, including lowered levels of bifidobacteria and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The researchers cited other studies that indicated that CFS patients are under increased oxidative stress, have a type 2 helper cell dominated cytokine profile, frequently report allergies, have altered essential fatty acid (EFA) status and may have malabsorption of certain micronutrients.

The researchers proposed that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have the potential to influence the immune system in CFS patients by supporting T helper cell 1 driven cellular immunity and may decrease allergies. In addition, LAB are strong antioxidants, may improve EFA status, can enhance absorption of micronutrients by protecting the intestinal epithelial barrier, and have been used to treat “small intestine bacterial overgrowth” [SIBO]. For these reasons, the researchers concluded that LAB may have a therapeutic role in the treatment of CFS.

(Source: Logan AC, Venket Rao A, Irani D. Med Hypotheses, 2003 Jun;60(6):915-23.)

The author, Paul Jaep, has researched the animal /microbe relationship and believes he has the formula for an entirely “new concept” probiotic. In which the probiotic microbes “permanently” repopulate the gut and possibly restore immunity [Following treatment].The author is looking for a company to collaborate in developing the product …..Any interested parties please contact me via the contact form tab on the tool bar

Immune system,” The Barrier”

The following information is perhaps the most important in achieving a complete cure with not just autism but many more chronic illness’s that plague mainly western societies. After treatment the infections with antibiotics anti- viral etc and addressing constraints on the immune system ,vitamin ,mineral supplements ,,treating inflammation ect; For many a complete cure still proves elusive.

The author recalls personal experience with this . Antibiotics ,and supplements etc; will only take you so far , the immune system needs to take over when the infection is knocked back to what should be manageable proportions . That doesn’t happen with a host of diseases… all of the so called auto-immune diseases . and the diseases that fall into the chronic fatigue spectrum ME, Fibromyelga, and of course autism .. The problem is many pathogens and in particular our commensal bacteria fungi etc; They have evolved to circumvent the immune system. We now know that they achieve by actually manipulating the immune system by switching the crucially important Pims gene.[as detailed in Normal Flora] The gene is responsible for triggering the immune response . It’s a double-edged synergistic arrangement. They earn their keep by moderating or perhaps a more accurate description would be to manage the immune response. The bacteria achieve this by switching genes on or off to ensure the immune system is tweaked just enough to produce components of our immune system but stop short of a full immune response.

The implications for us if gut bugs escape in to other areas of the body are immense and obviously a hitherto unknown factor in disease progression. It also puts the following into perspective…. Dr Bryan Marsh ,an infectious disease specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical centre New Hampshire, has noted that when microbes from the gut get into other parts of the body, the blood stream for example as in car accidents, they “go kind of crazy” and cause terrible havoc . massive doses of antibiotics are needed to subdue the infection .We now know why !

The fact that pathogens can avoid the immune system is not recent news, It’s been long known that Chlamydia, the sexually transmitted infection has the ability to hide from the immune system. The additional ability of certain pathogens to modify the immune response is very recent news.

Personally I managed to banish symptoms following the protocol as detailed above. but I needed maintenance dose of antibiotics to remain relatively symptom free. I had noted that when I suffered a cold the symptoms of my underlying infection improved, typically the first few days following a cold were the best I felt .. That was the situation for years. Then following a fairly intensive course of vitamin and mineral supplements I contracted a cold and this time I remained symptom free without the need for antibiotics for twelve months . some of my symptoms returned briefly, I’m now [Sept 2009] symptom free of my bacterial infection, it represents a huge leap forward in understanding the progression of infectious disease .

As it turns out this is not this is not an unexpected or unexplainable event.., as you have read we are infected with pathogen’s that have escaped from the gut, and those microbes have very special abilities. …

Given this fact what can be done .Well I seems that the immune system can be stimulated to challenge the infection[s] .

On researching I found that this curious outcome is not an isolated event it has been noted before. The following extract makes very interesting reading . Of course the reference to the Hygiene Hypothesis is completely in error . We have read that gut micro-flora can moderate the immune response via the “pims gene” we can be sure that this will be a hitherto unknown way of disease progression.

The curiously suspicious: infectious disease may ameliorate an ongoing autoimmune destruction in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Praprotnik S, Sodin-Semrl S, Tomsic M, Shoenfeld Y.

University Medical Centre, Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Vodnikova 62, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which can arise from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. In the past, infections (Epstein Barr virus, parvovirus B-19) have been indicated to play a causative role in the development of autoimmune diseases, such as SLE. On the other hand, with the emergence of the "hygiene hypothesis" infections have also shown to play a protective role in autoimmune diseases. Two case studies are presented which provide clinical evidence of SLE patients with severe, long-term disease, despite immunosuppresive therapy. The course of both diseases changed remarkably after they experienced infections with multiple microbes (bacterial, viral and fungal). Surprisingly, their clinical and laboratory signs of SLE normalized and they are now symptom-free after 5 and 3year follow-ups. The second patient has even had a normal pregnancy, which was a trigger factor for disease flare in the past. The infections presumably changed the host immune systems and the mechanisms of their protective effects are most likely multifactorial. Our cases illustrate that infections could be beneficial in SLE patients and re-directing research toward novel innate-based SLE therapy should be explored. PMID: 18158235 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

See also Infections and autoimmune diseases. PMID: 16278064

Its apparent that the immune system can be stimulated to mobilise against these pathogens. A possible explanation is that as the immune system is layered/structured, only the first stage the initial immune cells troops are susceptible to manipulation by self bacteria ..We do not produce a full blown immune response to an initial challenge when experiencing an infection .. The immune system responds in an orderly structured manner reacting to cytokines that are in themselves triggered by WBC previously deployed …Obviously if the first stage troops are prevented from achieving this by being genetically switched off then the messages will not get through ….however the bugs wouldn’t get or need a opportunity to evolve to circumvent subsequent waves of WBC’s ..so elevating the immune system artificially or by another Infectious agent can and does ameliorate chronic infections …

To wait for other infections to spark the immune system is obviously not practical. There are alternatives , we have medications that will stimulate the immune system .

The author has no personal experience with the following medications

Naltrexone

Researchers have found that at very low dosages (3 to 4.5 mg), naltrexone has immuno-modulating properties that may be able to successfully treat cancer malignancies and a wide range of autoimmune diseases .

As explained on the informative website www.lowdosenaltrexone.org, when you take LDN at bedtime -- which blocks your opioid receptors for a few hours in the middle of the night -- it is believed to up-regulate vital elements of your immune system by increasing your body’s production of metenkephalin and endorphins (your natural opioids), hence improving immune function.

Naltrexone (generic name) is a pharmacologically active opioid antagonist, conventionally used to treat drug- and alcohol addiction – normally at doses of 50mg to 300mg. As such, it’s been an FDA approved drug for over two decades.

Actos

As you see Actos is giving good results in both Autism and diabetes .. Not surprising as both conditions are infection based. The common denominator is the immune moderating effects of the drug …I wouldn’t agree with the take on the th1 and th2 immune status as in the autism reference ..Generally[soimply] th1 is regarded as a normal immune response to pathogens and th2 an inappropriate response , so this drug is very interesting , just what the mechanism of action is remains to be seen , but hopefully it will prove to elevate the immune response to the next stage so to speak.

The Use of Actos® (pioglitazone) in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:od-e3VcsLl0J:72.167.254.180/2008/De...

Actos reduces conversion to type 2 diabetes by 81% http://www.topnews.in/health/actos-reduces-conversion-type-2-diabetes-81...

Type 2 Diabetes Patients Taking ACTOS (Pioglitazone HCl) 22% Less Likely To Be Hospitalized For Heart Attack Than Those Taking Rosiglitazone http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/82775.php

Antiretroviral Drugs

The following information comes from DR. ANDREW MANIOTIS, PhD Assistant Research Professor Program Director Cell and Development Biology of Cancer, Departments of Pathology and Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Chicago

http://aras.ab.ca/articles/scientific/20071007-Maniotis-Lambros.pdf

However, to my knowledge, there is no evidence that any antiretroviral drugs attack or interfere with any virus directly. In all likelihood, antiretrovirals modulate the immune system into either waking up, producing more antibodies or, in some cases -- in high-dose regimens, they actually kill bacteria, mycoplasmas, and fungi, that may be present in a immune suppressed patient. At higher doses or during long term usage, these drugs also modulate your cells, and eventually, kill the cells of the immune system and other organs.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2….. trade name PROLEUKIN®

nterleukin-2 (IL-2) is an interleukin, a type of cytokine immune system signaling molecule, which is a leukocytotrophic hormone that is instrumental in the body's natural response to microbial infection and in discriminating between foreign (non-self) and self. IL-2 mediates its effects by binding to IL-2 receptors, which are expressed bylymphocytes, the cells that are responsible for immunity.

Proleukin is administered intravenously ,its primary use s treating cancer patients [cancer is an infection] I include the information but it must be said that it’s unlikely to be prescribed for victims of autism ,Lyme etc; That is until medical thinking has taken into account the seriousness of the situation surrounding so called auto-immune disease .

http://www.proleukin.com/index.jsp?usertrack.filter_applied=true&NovaId=...

Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin. Boosts Numbers of Cancer Fighting T cells

As the diabetes along with all other so called auto immune disease is almost certainly caused by infection. The unexpected effect of Metformin is very interesting ,the question must be , how much does the immune stimulating role contribute to the drugs beneficial effects.

After a vaccination or an infection, the human immune system remembers to keep protecting against invaders it has already encountered, with the aid of specialized B-cells and T-cells. Immunological memory has long been the subject of intense study, but the underlying cellular mechanisms regulating the generation and persistence of long-lived memory T cells remain largely undefined… In this study, an experimental preventive vaccine was made more efficacious by boosting numbers of cancer fighting T cells with the anti-diabetic drug metformin. This resulted in a larger population of memory immune cells that were able to fight off a tumor at a later time.

http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=5462

Ipilimumab

I supply the following information to hopefully get some feedback , It would be very useful to know if the molecule CTLA-4 is present in the autistic child , Lyme or Chronic fatigue victim . or with any of the so called auto immune disease conditions. Any feedback via the “contact form” would be appreciated ..

Ipilimumab is a human monoclonal antibodybeing developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Medarex. It is a Investigational drug and intended to be used to activate the immune system by inhibiting the CTLA-4 molecule The absence or presence of CTLA-4 can augment or suppress the immune system's T-cell response in fighting disease… CTLA-4 (which stands for "cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4") is a molecule on T-cells (a type of white blood cell) that plays a critical role in regulating natural immune responses. The presence of CTLA-4 suppresses the immune system's response to disease, blocking its activity has become a target for melanoma and other cancer research. Good results from a limited trial in prostrate cancer patients have recently been reported …