Infection Update—Biofilms, HHV-6, Valcyte and CFS

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Infection Update—Biofilms, HHV-6, Valcyte and CFS

_http://www.endfatigue-dev.com/health_articles_f-n_2/Infections-update_biofilm

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Summary

New research is coming out giving us a clearer understanding of what is

needed to fight infections in general, and especially in chronic illnesses like

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. In this article, we will talk about

two new concepts that offer us more tools for, and insight into, eliminating

these infections: 1. Biofilms. Just as we have learned to fight

infections by using antibiotics, bacteria are also adapting to survive. One way

that

they're doing this is by creating Biofilms. Biofilms represents a layer of

bacteria and other organisms that live together in a jelly like film. This film

protects them from antibiotics, ultraviolet light and other " predators " and

makes them hard to kill. New research is suggesting ways to kill them—despite

their protective layer. 2. HHV-6 viral infections. As discussed in an

earlier article on _viral infections_

(http://www.endfatigue-dev.com/health_articles_f-n/Infections-treating_hidden_vi\

ral_infections_cfs.html) , HHV-6 is

an important viral infection in CFS and other illnesses. New research

presented this week at the HHV-6 conference in Baltimore Maryland showed that:

a) HHV-6 makes a chemical that may contribute to the " brain

fog " seen in CFS. b) Using Valcyte to kill HHV-6 can improve the

cognitive

dysfunction ( " brain fog " ) seen in CFS. c) HHV-6 infection may also be

responsible for many cases of bipolar illness and depression.

Biofilms

In standard medicine, we are used to looking for bacterial infections by

taking a few bacteria and putting them into a growth medium to see how they

will

grow. We then add antibiotics to the growth medium to see which ones are

effective against the bacteria and what dose is needed.

For early acute infections, this approach can be effective. What medicine

has ignored, however, is that in chronic infections, both in humans and in

nature in general, infections form their own " cities " called " biofilms. " These

biofilms are like a mucus (called " Extracellular Polymeric Substances " or EPS)

secreted by the organisms, and leave the infections highly resistant to

antibiotics. Often, a number of different bacteria or fungi live in the same

biofilm.

Because standard culturing techniques will not pick up most biofilms,

medicine tends to treat these as if they are sterile fluid collections. Common

examples of these would include " nonbacterial " prostatitis, dental infections,

sinusitis and infections of medical materials such as implants or catheters.

Although just starting to become available, new tests such as PCR or antigen

testing offer new hope for being able to diagnose and treat these biofilm

infections. This is critical, as it is estimated that 65-80% (according to

Center for Disease Control estimates) of human infections are caused by

biofilms—

which our current testing routinely misses.

As our awareness of biofilms increases, new approaches are being developed

to help fight them. For example, a simple mineral called " bismuth " has been

shown to markedly disrupt biofilms in very low dose. Interestingly, this

mineral is sometimes found in toothpaste. Dental plaque is one of the most

common

forms of biofilm infections, and has been decreasing considerably—possibly

because of the bismuth (and also because of dental floss). Bismuth is now also

being added to medical catheters to prevent infections. I suspect that fairly

soon, as Medicine realizes that sinusitis also reflects a biofilm, bismuth

will be tested in nasal spray form. In the interim, the Sinusitis Nose Spray I

recommend (available from ITC Pharmacy by prescription: 303-663-4224)

contains xylitol, which may have a similar effect.

For more information on biofilms: Biofilms and Chronic Infections. JAMA June

11, 2008. P 2682-3

HHV-6, Valcyte and Brain Fog

At last week's HHV-6 conference in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Montoya

presented his research on the use of Valcyte to eliminate HHV-6 viral

infections. As

summarized by Kristin Loomis, president of the _HHV6 Foundation_

(http://www.hhv-6foundation.org/) : " Dr. Jose Montoya, an infectious disease

specialist

at Stanford University, released preliminary findings on his double-blind

placebo-controlled antiviral trial of Valcyte for a subset of patients

displaying

high antibody levels to human HHV-6 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

Statistically significant cognitive improvement was noted in the

Multidimensional

Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) Mental Fatigue subscale and on patient self-reported

of

cognitive functioning, but there was not a significant result on the overall

MFI-20 index. Data from treadmill testing, cytokine analysis, gene

expression and other viral markers is still pending and will be announced at a

later

date. "

Basically, the early data suggest that the antiviral Valcyte is most

effective against the symptoms of brain fog. Clinical experience suggests that

in a

significant number of people with CFS, the Valcyte can be very effective

overall as well. As the Valcyte will not eliminate the infection completely, it

is critical to treat with the entire " _SHINE Protocol._

(http://www.endfatigue-dev.com/treatment_options/Shine_treatment_protocol.html)

" This way your

immune system can recover enough to eliminate the infection. We have found that

by

using the Valcyte along with the " SHINE protocol, " we often get excellent

results. I look forward to the release of Professor Montoya's complete study.

Interestingly, another study presented at the conference suggests that

chronic HHV-6 infections can create a special protein that is commonly found in

the brains of those with CFS but not in those that are healthy, and that this

protein may contribute to the brain fog often seen in Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome. " Causes of many chronic diseases are unknown and chronic viral

infection is

one of the most suspected candidates, " said Dr. Kondo, who spent 20 years

trying to identify the latent protein responsible for chronic CNS disease and

mood disorders.

Research suggests that other " psychological problems " may also be caused by

HHV-6 infection. 71% of CFS patients with psychological symptoms, 53% of

depression and 76% of bipolar patients possessed the antibody against the

SITH-1

protein—but healthy patients showed no evidence of this protein. Although

there are many causes of depression, it is quite possible that Medicine has been

trying to treat a brain infection with Prozac!

_Click here_

(http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS133706+23-Jun-2008+MW20080623)

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