Some Thoughts On Antibodies

[tex]

Hi All,

We tend to view high antibody counts, and the production of antibodies to many foods as a sign of high inflammation rates. But while that's generally true in most cases, it's not true in all cases. It's a lot more complicated than that. The point is, antibodies don't actually produce any inflammation, per se. Antibodies are just messengers in the immune system, and if for any reason, they do not successfully attach to the proper receptors, they will cause no effect. On the other hand, it's also possible to have inflammation without the production of antibodies.

But even after they do attach to the proper receptors, the results can be variable. In the case of IgE antibodies for example, depending on the number of mast cells available, and just how well "armed" and how stable (or unstable) those mast cells might be, the activation of those receptors might result in anything ranging from a relatively minor release of histamines, to a massive release of proteases, cytokines, and metabolites of arachidonic acid. IgA antibodies typically result in the production of T-cells, but cytokines and other inflammatory agents can also be released.

But we know that the production of antibodies doesn't always result in the development of significant inflammation, because not everyone develops clinical symptoms. Research done on biopsy samples taken from celiacs also shows that T-cell lymphocyte counts in intestinal biopsy samples have no correlation with the level of clinical symptoms experienced by patients. Many people show no clinical symptoms at all. There are many asymptomatic celiacs for example, who show no clinical symptoms, even though they produce antibodies to gluten. They may or may not have any significant intestinal damage. Untreated celiac disease is known to lead to an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. But the interesting thing is that research shows that asymptomatic celiacs who continue to eat gluten, are no more likely to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma than celiacs who faithfully follow a GF diet. So obviously the issue is much more complex than just a consideration of antibodies.

IOW, antibodies don't actually cause any damage — it's the T cells and the cytokines and other inflammatory agents promoted by the T cells that cause inflammation, and there is no way to correlate the significance of those effects with antibody levels, because there are no tests and no research to correlate antibody levels with inflammation levels. Apparently that varies by the individual. The bottom line is, a high antibody level may not be as bad as it appears to be. But remember that we are all different, and this is just my opinion, based on my research and what I have learned from all of our combined experiences on this discussion board. You won't find this in the medical literature.

The point is, if you happen to be one of the members here who receive high antibody counts on many foods, it's not the end of the world. High antibody results mostly mean that food reactions have been going on for a long time, because in general, the longer we continue to react to a food, the higher the antibody count tends to climb (within limits of course). And untreated gluten sensitivity tends to lead to additional food sensitivities.

Tex.

[Gabes-Apg]

mmmm Interesting

so like so many other aspects of blood tests, currently there is no test that will give the doctor (or the patient) insight into what is really happening with the cells.

listening to our body, decoding the messages is our best bet for treating inflammation.

[Zizzle]

Yup, I have "seronegative" Dermatomyositis, meaning I don't have a single myositis-specific antibody so far. Many people are like me, and have doctors unwilling to make a definitive diagnosis, because they rely so heavily on the blood tests, when the patient sitting right in front of them is suffering from an obvious case of Dermatomyositis!

Interestingly, LDN has made all my remaining autoantibodies go way down. My rheumatoid factor even disappeared on my last test. I wonder what my food antibodies might look like now?

My skin disease is in remission and I've been able to loosen up my diet (no more autoimmune paleo), just GF/DF/SY/EF and very limited grains.

[tex]

Many people are like me, and have doctors unwilling to make a definitive diagnosis, because they rely so heavily on the blood tests, when the patient sitting right in front of them is suffering from an obvious case of Dermatomyositis!

And the sad part is that while they sit there in a confused state (while camouflaging their confusion with a smug mask of confidence), it never even dawns on them that

1. Inflammation is possible without antibodies

2. There's a good chance that they aren't even aware of the correct antibodies that they should be looking for, because no one has defined them in the medical literature, nor developed a test for them — therefore, as far as the doctors are concerned "they don't exist".

Doctors have forgotten how to diagnose by clinical symptoms, even when they're painfully obvious, because they prefer to let the lab tests (that are no smarter than the people who developed them) make all the diagnostic decisions for them. No one wants to take responsibility for anything, anymore.



Tex

[dfpowell]

How should we interpret the Enterolab tests? Would it be better to just do the elimination diet?

[tex]

Hi Donna,

As far as I can tell, in probably 98–99 % of cases, the EnteroLab test results for the individual foods (the "big four") are right on target. The results for the 11 other antigenic foods are probably roughly 85–90 % accurate (which is still by far the best accuracy available for any food sensitivity tests that are available). I don't see the elimination diet as "better", but it can certainly be used, if one works patiently and methodically, and doesn't give up on it prematurely.

Back when I was still reacting, I wasn't aware of EnteroLab (and I didn't even realize there was such a thing as an elimination diet), but over a period of about a year and a half, by maintaining and reviewing a food/reaction journal, I eventually figured out that I needed to eliminate all but a few basic foods that turned out to be my own version of an elimination diet, which I followed for about another year and a half before being able to add any foods back into my diet.

I certainly wouldn't have hesitated to use the EnteroLab tests if I had been aware of them, and I've used them twice since then, over the years.

Tex