New research on MS

[drz]

This might have some implications for GPA too. MS in now known to be an auto immune disease with interplay between genes and enviroment?

The researchers say it's also worth noting that just more than one-third of the identified loci overlap with regions already known to be associated with other autoimmune disorders.
Vascular Theory Takes a Hit
On the basis of this new research, it is clear that MS is "primarily an immunological disease. This is the way to nail this disease and get on top of it," Dr. Compston said. There is also evidence of "an interplay between genes and the environment," he noted.
Their work also points to inflammation as the first step toward the disease, with neurodegeneration, "so it does resolve a very live and a very real debate," he said.
There is little sound evidence, on the other hand, for the "completely rival theory" that MS is a vascular problem caused by CCSVI, he said. "The general point I'm making is that I think our work really puts some of these, what you might call maverick or eccentric, ideas on one side, and it is not in the interests of patients to go on pursuing those ideas when we have such a clear narrative going across the nature of the disease."
The controversial vein-narrowing theory, put forth in 2009 by Paolo Zamboni, MD, and colleagues from Italy, holds that MS could be caused by abnormal venous drainage from the brain due to outflow obstruction in the draining jugular vein and/or azygos veins and that addressing the obstructions with angioplasty might help alleviate MS symptoms.
The first in a series of studies into the relationship between MS and CCSVI in the brain conducted by Dr. Zamboni's team involved 109 patients with MS and 177 control subjects. Using transcranial and extracranial color Doppler imaging, they found that MS patients were more likely than controls to have predefined abnormal venous outflow hemodynamic parameters.
In a follow-up study, they performed selective venography in 65 patients with MS and several control groups and found severe extracranial stenoses only in the patients with MS.

[elephant]

That is interesting thanks for sharing.

[Sangye]

Very interesting, drz. Even though I agree that MS is most likely an immunological disease and I don't know much about the CCSVI theory of onset, I was still upset at Dr Compston squashing opposing views. That doesn't seem like good science to me.

Those of us in holistic health are often on the receiving end of comments like his and no apology is made when we are later proved to be correct. In fact just today I got an email newsletter from JHU talking about certain dietary changes that have now been "proven" to help those with RA. Basically it's an anti-inflammatory diet. Imagine that! Most of us are still being told that an AI diet is useless and unproven. Even Dr Seo poopoo'ed it when I asked. It's basic biochemistry, yet we've been treated like we are lunatics for proposing that diet can impact health.

[drz]

I like the statement about it being an interplay between genes and environment. I think this would also include factors like diet, exercise and life style as well as exposure to toxins and other unhealthy things. This might also apply to most auto immune disorders like ours or even other diseases.

[pberggren1]

I so hear you Sangye!!!!!

[elephant]

I hear you too Sangye, even down here in SC.