Genetic Link to Mold Related Illness
The Biotoxin Pathway illustrates that if you are genetically predisposed to biotoxin illness (HLA susceptible) your chances of having a mold illness (or other biotoxin illness) goes up enormously. In fact, Dr Shoemaker has found that 95% of his biotoxin illness patients have one or more of these defective genes.
Immunological “blind spot”
The Biotoxin Pathway reveals that if you are genetically susceptible to biotoxins, then your adaptive immune system (antibody producing system) is unable to recognize these biotoxins. Consequently, your will not be able to produce antibodies to these biotoxins. How can you kill that which you cannot detect?
Innate immunity works just fine……..for awhile
Your innate immune system does respond to biotoxin exposure and will unleash an attack on the biotoxins in your body. This primitive and imprecise part of your immune system will attempt to burn up the biotoxins by releasing inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines. Normally your innate and adaptive immune systems work together to eradicate biotoxins. However, since you have an immunological “blind spot”, you never make the antibodies needed to completely destroy the biotoxins. Consequently, your innate (primitive) system keeps producing cytokines, wreaking havoc on your body. Over time, these cytokines produce a chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), which resembles flu-like symptoms.
You may be thinking to yourself, why did I get sick now
If I have had these genes my whole life, why was I well for so many years, yet I am so sick now? The key concept to explain this phenomenon is gene activation. Your genes coding for these inflammatory responses were relatively dormant for your entire life, but were triggered by some immunologically stressful event. These triggering events could be high levels of mold exposure, a tick bite, a viral illness or a multitude of other stressful circumstances. Once your genes have been activated, you will become much more sensitive with each subsequent exposure to biotoxins.
The importance of your hypothalamus
As you examine Biotoxin pathway, note the central location of your hypothalamus and its influence on a myriad of symptoms. You must understand that your hypothalamus is the control center of every function in your body. When operating properly, this important and powerful part of your brain will direct your nervous system, immune system and endocrine system to create a state known as homeostasis. Homeostasis is the ability to control the internal environment of your body. When you and your hypothalamus are able to maintain a state of homeostasis, you will enjoy vibrant health, free of physical pain and suffering. However, if your hypothalamus and its various inputs and outputs are under sufficient stress for a long enough time, then this vital part of your brain will no longer be able to maintain homeostasis. Consequently, you will suffer clinical manifestations (symptoms) in many of your organs, tissues and cells.
Your hypothalamus normally makes sufficient quantities of two very important regulatory peptides, melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). You will lose hypothalamic control if your MSH and VIP levels drop. Your overall state of health will decline as your immune, neurological and endocrine systems become more dysfunctional. Consequently, each successive mold (biotoxin) exposure produces symptoms that are worse then the time before.
Non-linear dose response curve
You must understand that your inappropriate and excessive response to mold exposure is the problem, not the amount of mold (biotoxin). Even a miniscule amount of mold (biotoxin) can cause you to have a severe reaction if you are susceptible.
Differential Diagnosis
My first priority as your doctor is to try to identify if you are indeed suffering from a biotoxin mediated chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS). In other words, “What are the possible different causes of your symptoms and are you indeed “a case” of biotoxin illness (CIRS)?”
Case Definition for CIRS
Symptoms cluster – typical symptoms of CIRS include, unexplained fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, joint pains, headaches, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), rashes, chronic infections, food intolerances, frequent urination, static electric shocks, temperature fluctuations, insomnia, dizziness, memory problems, light sensitivity, asthma-like symptoms (cough and shortness of breath), abdominal pains, nausea, diarrhea and other chronic unexplained symptoms
History of exposure to water damaged buildings (WDB), tick bites, poisoned fish or toxic blue-green algae.
Evidence of genetic predisposition – seen with HLA-DR testing
Evidence of presence of neurotoxins – as demonstrated by visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) testing
The case definition also requires a significant number of the following lab abnormalities:
Evidence of Multiply Antibiotic Resistant Coagulase Negative Staph (MARCoNS) – MARCoNS can be silently growing deep within your sinus cavities (and maybe even in your teeth). A slimy layer called biofilm protects these nasty, drug resistant bugs. MARCoNS secrete substances that can increase inflammation in your body and products that destroy your MSH. A special test kit featuring an API-staph nasal swab must be used and sent to Microbiology DX labs in Massachusetts. If you grow bacteria that are resistant to two or more antibiotics, then you have MARCoNS.
Evidence of gliadin antibodies as seen on blood testing
Evidence of hypothalamic dysfunction as related to hormonal imbalance – high (or low) cortisol, high (or low) adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), high estrogen and low testosterone
Evidence of hypothalamic dysfunction related to water/electrolyte imbalance – low levels of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) with (or without) simultaneous elevated serum osmolarity. You may suffer from frequent urination, frequent thirst and susceptibility to static electric shocks. The shocks occur because low ADH causes loss of water from your body, leading to high levels of sodium (and chloride) in your blood. Your sweat will be extra salty as your body is trying to excrete this salt and this leads to the susceptibility to static electric shocks.
Evidence of tissue damage (remodeling) – elevated matrix metalloproteinase -9 (MMP-9), elevated transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF beta-1)
Evidence of anaerobic (lack of oxygen) metabolism – measured by an echocardiogram, revealing evidence of tricuspid regurgitation (backward flow of blood) resulting from pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Poor capillary transport of blood into your pulmonary arteries causes PAH because of constricted blood vessels. Your anaerobic metabolism can also be measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis, which reveals low levels of brain glutamate/glutamine ratios and high levels of brain lactic acid. You may also have low levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
Evidence of elevated cytokine levels – high serum levels of C3a (activated 3rd component of complement) and C4a (activated 4th component of complement)
Evidence of hypothalamic dysfunction related to inadequate levels of regulatory neuropeptides– low levels of melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)
Evidence of hypothalamic dysfunction as related to immune imbalance – low CD4+/CD25++ counts
Evidence of brain swelling (edema of brain tissues) in your hippocampus, frontal lobes and your cerebellum secondary to loss of integrity of your blood-brain-barrier, and shrinking of your caudate nuclei secondary to cell death and “dendritic pruning”. These brain abnormalities can be measured using a computer-based analysis of an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) known as NeuroQuant.
Evidence of other physiologic disturbances like abnormal bleeding (depressed levels of von Willabrands factors), abnormal coagulation (decreased platelet activating inhibitor -1) and other autoantibodies (anticardiolipin, anti myelin basic protein)
Now that you have been identified as a case of CIRS, you must be diligent and careful to do things the right way.