Thalassemia Patients and Friends
Discussion Forums => General Chatter => Topic started by: phyrefly on April 14, 2006, 01:49:15 AM
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Little has been written of the comparison of erythrocyte morphology in thalassemia as it relates to other cases of abnormalities caused by genes and/or parasites. The blood-sucking tick, Haemaphysalis traguli occurs in Southeast Asia. Its host is the Lesser Mouse Deer, Tragulus javanicus. The genus Haemaphysalis also occurs on Red Jungle Fowl, Gallus gallus, precursor to the dometicated chicken. Here is shown connections to erythrocyte morphology in species other than humans.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
(Type in abstract number)
Erythrocyte Morphology / Roan Antelope (Hippotragus equinus) 16542675
Lesser Mouse-Deer (Tragulus javanicus) 8771414
(Host to Haemaphysalis traguli)
Punctate Basophilia / Thalassemia 2214342
(Russian punktirovnyi 'punctate')
Platelet Shape Change / Ornithodorus savignyi 11932256
Thus, there exists evidence to support the hypothesis that pathogens also influence genetic mutations and morphological abnormalities.
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Wow! Thanks for the great resource :)
You won't find this info even on your favourite wildlife channel :wink :biggrin
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Al Salaam, Sajid,
Ticks are notorious vectors of Rickettsia, Borrelia, etc. Connections to influenza, Hepatitis B virus and influenza will be forthcoming. Pakistani studies on erythrocyte morphology in tick-borne disease could include Ornithodorus tholozani, vector of Persian relapsing fever as well as vectors of the Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia, of which the tick genus Dermacentor is an example.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
Thalassemia / Rickettsia 16462712
(The article mentions Rickettsia)
Borrelia / Thalassemia 11399112
Haemaphysalis danieli / Pakistan 864574
(Hoogstraal was also stationed at NAMRU-III in Cairo)
West Pakistan 4734280
Chicken Anemia Virus 16081905
SARS / CD147 15688292
CD147 / Erythrocyte Trapping 11389044
Gallus spp. / Erythroid Proliferation 2618752
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Asalam-o-Alaikum,
Are you from Pakistan and a doctor? If yes then let us know where to find you as there are a couple of Pakistanis on this forum and we might want to contact you. I know, I want to!
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Asalam-o-Alaikum,
No, not a physician nor residing in Pakistan. Located in the U.S., I'm wondering whether there are some speculations involving thalassemia that can be brought forth here at this forum to support the proposal that thalassemia patients may be more susceptible to hepatocarcinoma way earlier than non-thalassemia-hepatitis patients. Thus, one speculation involves the use of Schisandra chinensis and other species of this plant genus as relates to hepatitis and cirrhosis therapy. In particular, compounds such as the gomisins for the liver as these may stimulate or maintain erythropoietin production in thalassemia. Is there a synergy twixt flavonoids and gomisins? Why is Schisandra used to rejuvenate race-horses? Physicians may wish to consider Schisandra use for those compromised with both thalassemia and hepatitis.
On another note, reading up on erythrocyte morphology from a medical text (written by four prominent physicians, to be referenced here shortly), it seems that lipid synthesis comes under scrutiny as it relates to the erythrocyte membrane. The question being: 'Why are the erythrocytes of the mouse-deer the smallest known of any animal?' and 'What causes the mouse-deer erythrocyte membrane to invaginate (create pits) on the erythrocyte surface?' and 'What forces may have created a unique cross-talk between these and blood plasma? 'What parameters, if any, have blood-sucking ticks played in erythrocyte morphology?' Implicated in this morphology is the acyl moiety in cholesterol. Spiculated erythrocytes signal too much cholesterol, but what of the reverse of this situation?
Implicated as well, will be the mechanism of deacylation in improving DNA delivery. This improvement in delivery made it possible to home in on mouse lung cells. Since we already have CD147 and SARS to ponder, there is the fact that H5N1 avian influenza prefers attachment sites deep in the human lung rather than, say, in the upper bronchia or throat. A more pandemic mutation would be that the H5N1 virus could use attachment sites less deep in the lung. Acylation and de-acylation then, is included in a discussion of erythrocyte lipid membrane morphology.
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This is a fascinating discussion. I will be very interested in seeing the direction this takes.
This is the first I have heard about the herb, schisandra and its uses for hepatitis. The only herb usually mentioned is milk thistle, which has a well documented body of anecdotal evidence and which has also withstood rigorous testing designed to find some harmful effects. Ironically, the only effect found in studies is that milk thistle is a mild laxative in large doses, something most people could benefit from. Concerning schisandra, I found this passage at http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=21719
Schisandra has long been used in the traditional medicines of Russia and China for a wide variety of conditions including asthma, coughs, and other respiratory ailments, diarrhea, insomnia, impotence, and kidney problems. Hunters and athletes have used schisandra in the belief that it will increase endurance and combat fatigue under physical stress.
More recently, schisandra has been studied for potential liver-protective effects.
...Animal studies suggest schisandra may protect the liver from toxic damage, improve liver function, and stimulate liver cell regrowth. 1–6 These findings led to its use in human trials for treating hepatitis. In a poorly designed and reported Chinese study of 189 people with hepatitis B, those given schisandra reportedly improved more rapidly than those given vitamins and liver extracts.
Schisandra may prove to be one more alternative in fighting hepatitis in cotrast to the very harsh combo drugs currently being used. I do know thals who have had some good success using high doses of milk thistle to control hepatitis.
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I believe Schisandra is mentioned in China's oldest herbal, the Pen Tsao Kang Mu Jing (even though its author would likely not add the [jing, 'classic'] to its title). Bay Star Vine, Schisandra glabra is endemic to the U.S., with only a few populations surviving in Arkansas (Crowley's Ridge), Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, where it is endangered and protected. Over-harvesting and land-clearing is the culprit. The great (and therefore, underpaid) French botanist-explorer, Michaux first named the plant, and attempted to establish it in his frontier garden at Ten Mile Station, South Carolina. The most northerly location was one plant in an eastern county in Kentucky. Chinese source of Schisandra berries are available. Unfortunately, it is a waste of time trying to germinate them. They are sterile. A Canadian nursery sells the plants, thus what we have here is an example of capitalism taking advantage of American's disgraceful naivety of its plant heritage. The active constituents of Schisandra are remarkable, and may come more into play as this thread develops. See Pubmed for further info.
Active constituents of Milk thistle, Silybum marianum were studied in an exquisite work published in the Italian journal Phytoterapia. It seems that one compound actually helps to direct protein synthesis inside the cell nucleus. Yet it is not an antiviral, if there is such a thing. Yes, it has withstood the tests of time. It was used medicinally well before the time of Christ.
Those interested in delving further into the pharmacodynamics of both Schisandra and Silybum would do well to use a more powerful combined key-word search at pubmed: keyword[AND]keyword. Example: 'kuppfer[AND]silibinin' (Kuppfer cells of liver + silibinin, a constituent of Silybum that directs synthesis in the cell nucleus).
In reference to red and gray kangaroos, it should be mentioned that their ability to withstand drought areas coincides with certain tick habitats and morphology and pigmentation of the body of ticks. Thus, wallabies, kangaroos....Macropodidae translates to 'large legged' and ironically there is a retired scientist who flags for a certain paralysis-causing tick in the hills above Sidney, Australia. There is a video of a dog bitten by one of these ticks on the Net. It appears as if it had polio. What would be of interest is to document what ticks are being found on these kangaroos in close proximity to humans, and by default, studies on erythrocyte morphology of both tick and host. To the concept of acylation/de-acylation can be added erythrocyte osmotic fragility:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
Osmotic Fragility 11263725
G6PD 7599974
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This is interesting topic, morphology of thalassemia in relationship with infectious agents. One hypothesis of thalassemia evolution itself is evolutionary gift or change of malaria. However this hypothesis is weak that is because in South America malaria is highly prevalent where as thalassemia is not that prominent in ethnic population there.
The relationship of malaria and erythrocyte is well studied, as part of its life cycle complete in erythrocytes due to glycophorin receptors in erythrocytes, where malaria can recognize. However certain minor blood groups are resistant to malaria some species. I think erythrocytes have some receptors which is recognized by these ticks or insects may be.
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??? :huh
I am totally lost, what are we talking.......
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:rotfl
That makes the two of us