> So, everyone, how's your George? I'm waiting to ask my Neuro if he has any
>evidence that it is my immune system attacking my spinal cord, or if this is
>just an over-educated guess. I can't see the wisdom of flooding my body with
>an IV drug which will lower my white blood cell count and destroy my
>platlettes just in case my immune system is hyperactive. It is a wacky world.
This is a good question. My classmate and now infectious disease
specialist tells me there is an element of immune hyperactivity with the
deposition of "extra" immune complexes around the spine in TM. However,
it's a hyperactivity to a certain virus that presumably has long gone -- so
why destroy immune function now? The way he explained it to me was that the
body has an "idiopathic" response -- ie the hyper immune response -- that
means one million people could get the virus and only one get TM --which is
just about what probably happens (and certainly fits with the incidence).
The actual demyelinization and destruction of nerve cells is another matter
I think -- is it the virus that attacks the cord directly -- I think not.
In order for some regeneration and remyelinization, I think the
latest studies are suggesting that there is an imune response that prevents
this -- and when we go from rat trials to human trials it may be necessary
to take immunosupressant drugs -- anyway -- hope that's confusing enough.
It certainly is for me.
Bryan