Posted on 07/31/2009 12:36:25 PM PDT by neverdem
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Crack open the latest medical textbook to the chapter on type 2 diabetes and you'll be hard pressed to find the term "immunology" anywhere. Metabolic conditions and immunologic conditions are, with a few exceptions, thought to be distant cousins. Recent studies, however, two of which are from Harvard Medical School researchers, have linked type 2 diabetes with immunology in a way that might persuade researchers to start viewing them as siblings.
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes both involve abnormalities in the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, but their root causes are completely different. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the pancreas, destroying its ability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a strictly metabolic condition in which cells grow increasingly deaf to insulin signals and thus lose their ability to metabolize glucose. In both cases, blood glucose levels rise, sometimes to fatal levels.
Researchers used two common over-the-counter allergy medications to reduce both obesity and type 2 diabetes in mice. The medications, called Zaditor and cromolyn, stabilize a population of inflammatory immune cells called mast cells.
The Harvard researchers assert that it is becoming increasingly clear that we should also think of type 2 diabetes in the context of immune function. Guo-Ping Shi, biochemist from the Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, began to suspect such a connection when, in a previous study, he found mast cells present in a variety of inflammatory vascular diseases.
Mast cells are immune cells that facilitate healing in wounded tissue by increasing blood flow to the site. In certain conditions, however, mast cells build up to levels far beyond what the body needs. When this happens, these cells become unstable and eventually, like punctured trash bags, leak molecular "garbage" into the tissue. This results in chronic inflammation that can cause asthma and certain allergies.
As Shi and postdoctoral research fellow Jian Liu discovered, mast cells were far more abundant in fat tissue of obese and diabetic humans and mice than they were in fat tissue from individuals of normal weight. This led to the obvious question, by regulating mast cells, could we then control the obesity and diabetic symptoms?
To find out, Shi and colleagues took a group of obese and diabetic mice and, for a period of two months, treated them with either Zaditor or cromolyn.
The mice were divided into four groups. The first was the control group. The second group was simply switched to a healthy diet. The third was given cromolyn or Zaditor. And the fourth group was given the drug and switched to a healthy diet.
While symptoms of the second “healthy diet” group improved moderately, the third “allergy medicine” group demonstrated dramatic improvements in both body weight and diabetes. The fourth group exhibited nearly 100 percent recovery in all areas.
To bolster these findings, Shi and colleagues then took a group of mice whose ability to produce mast cells was genetically impaired. Despite three months of a diet rich in sugar and fat, these mice neither became obese nor developed diabetes. "The best thing about these drugs is that we know it's safe for people," said Shi. "The remaining question now is: Will this also work for people?" Shi now intends to test both cromolyn and Zaditor on obese and diabetic non-human primates.
SOURCE: Nature Medicine, July 26, 2009
I remember when Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was first coming to the forefront.
It was also dismissed as psychological by the medical community, as was PMS.
It seems that the medical community is very reluctant to deal with vague seeming health issues. They like things black and white, here, take this pill and see if it helps, good-bye, and that’s about all I’ve gotten from the doctors I’ve talked to.
My PCP and allergist know that I’ve been dealing with this for some years now, but just seem too overworked to bother dealing with something that they can’t immediately pin down. They’re good enough doctors and very easy to talk to, but ......
Thanks for the link. It explains some, the enzyme angle is an interesting one.
I’m not sure the conditioning one is relevant because the symptoms will usually hit out of the blue, between a half an hour to more than two hours later.
I’ve had this wake me out of a sound sleep at two in the morning, from something I ate before bed.
I have been to the ER for this twice many years apart because the symptoms were so severe and even then both the ER doctors told me that they weren’t convinced that it was allergies but they didn’t know what could have caused it. So they load me up on predisone, just in case, and send me home.
Never mind. I googled it up and found out. And found out that it wouldn’t have shown anything because it wasn’t done within the time period after my reaction.
If they had done the test in the ER, it might have helped.
bttt
Isn’t cromolyn usually in the cromolyn sodium form for allergies? Would the sodium cause fluid retention?
With such a delayed reaction, my personal suspicion is that you have some GI bacteria, fungi, or protozoa that is misbehaving. Very little is known about the intestinal flora, with between 300-1000 different kinds of microorganisms. However, its function in digestion is so great that it is sometimes called a “virtual internal organ”.
A good test of this theory might be to eat a large bowl of plain, live culture yogurt. It could improve the condition, or less likely, it could give you a reaction. Or it could have little or no effect. However, if it did much of anything, it would help narrow down the problem.
My second guess would be that you might have one of any number of intestinal parasites, that are a lot more common than most people think. These could usually be determined with a simple stool sample, and are often easy to treat.
These are just guesses, of course.
cromolyn
Your doctor should check you for a Mast Cell Activation Disorder or Syndrome.
No if’s, and’s, or but’s - find a doctor that will.
It wouldn’t surprise me that it was GI related. It just doesn’t fit for the usual reflux that everyone treats off the cuff.
However, when I eat certain hard cheeses, or yogurt for several days in a row, I break out from it, but I don’t get the other symptoms.
Never heard of it, but I will look into it.
The nagging concern in the back of my mind, is that if this is allergy connected somehow, some day I’m going to have a full blown bad allergic reaction.
But it can be done, with perseverance. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 2 years ago, and since then have lost enough weight (a lot) to bring my BMI into normal range. My RA is now completely under control without medication. The only supplements I take are fish oil and vitamin D. I stopped going to my rheumatologist because she doesn't believe that I could possibly be healthy without taking that poisonous RA medication, even though all of my inflammation markers are back within normal range and I feel fine.
I have been suffering with a MCAD for 1 1/2 years now. They still do not know the cause of it.
I take several meds a day to help keep the massive hives down. (it works about 80% of the time)
I also suffer from moderate to severe angioedema.
Meds I take daily...
300mg of Rantitine (Zantac)
5 to 10mg of Xyzal
and 10mg of Singulair
I also keep a Epi-Pen with me at all times. (you should also - ask your Dr to prescribe it for you, also keep some liquid Benadryl around). Also stay away from foods that are high in histamine (Google Foods High in Histamine), chances are your histamine levels are already high and staying away from foods that are high in histamine will help keep your histamine levels down as much as possible. It's not that you are allergic to foods high in histamine only that they increase the high levels of histamine already in your body. I have had both the RAST and Scratch tests done for 72+ allergens and I am not allergic to any of them, again they don't know yet what caused my MCAD yet. They may never know. I will wait another 6 months and if it does not burn out like they say it may do then I will be heading to TN to get tested here http://www.tmsforacure.org
The above meds are the ones that work the best for me at this point - but I have been on several types of antihistamine's and several combos of antihistamine's. I had to wean myself off of Prednisone.
Thanks for the tutorial on mast cells! Very interesting.
I am wondering if antihistamines similar to the ones studied might have some effect. I had terrible allergies for years, and consequently was taking tons of antihistamines all the time — and I was always skinny as a rail. When I turned 30, my husband and I moved to a different area of the country, and most of my allergies calmed down because the irritants weren’t in the air in the new location. I pretty much quit taking antihistamines, after having taken them all my life. At the same time, I started to gain weight — a little at a time, slowly but surely. At the time I blamed it on hitting 30. Now I wonder — what would happen if I went back on daily antihistamines?
My antihistamine of choice (when I need it, which is rarely) is clemastine fumarate, which I believe is somewhat similar to the ketotifen fumarate mentioned in the article. I think I’ll take it for a month and see what happens!
Thank you. I lost my internet connection last night just as I started googling the subject.
It certainly seems to be an angle to pursue.
I don’t get hives, but I’ve always had eczema. It flared up when I was a baby, a teen, and now, just within the last few years. It’s all food and contact to chemicals related, that I’ve established for sure.
I was on Zyrtec for a time and had horrible side effects from it. I’d hesitate to try Xyzal. I’m already on Singulair.
Interestingly, the food reaction symptoms always got worse when I was at high levels of my allergy shots, trying to get them up to where the dr wanted them, and after I got really sick last spring, and one or two occasions just at random.
I always suspected that the symptoms flared up because I overloaded my immune system.
I do carry an epi-pen with me everywhere.
The thing that puzzles me is that the non-rash symptoms resolve themselves so quickly no matter if I try to do something about them or not. That’s one aspect that makes me think it’s not allergic.
I’ve had food allergy testing done twice and it actually shows an improvement in my food allergies, which means the few things I tested mildly allergic to got better.
Keep in touch via FReepmail with me about this. I’ll let you know what I come up with.
I wonder if any studies have ever been done to see the correlation between weight gain and allergies.
When I was at my allergist, I commented to the nurse that wheat, (which I do test allergic to but can eat without classic symptoms) makes me put on weight, and she said that wheat just does that to some people.
hmmmm......
Another question.
Is this progressive, on it’s own?
Or is it like allergies where you become sensitized by things?
Avoidance helps the symptoms, but with the fact that it seems that it’s gradually getting worse, there’s less and less I can eat.
I can’t see going on like this for the few more decades of life I have.
With regular allergies, increased exposure makes the symptoms worse and taking anti-histamines deals with the symptoms but does not stop the sensitization process.
Is taking all that medication merely dealing with the symptoms while I’d be becoming worse by exposure to allergens?
If it’s going to get progressively worse and it’s not by sensitization, should I be concerned about exposure ton things that make me react?
Do you get what I’m asking?
I have read recently that the acid reducers have some bad side effects if you use them long term. Sorry, I can’t remember exactly what they were, but you might google it or I can see if I can find it for you.
I have had bad reactions to both Zyrtec and Singulair. Singulair gave me such horrible, technicolor nightmares that I thought I might have a heart attack!
The antihistamine that seems to work best for me is Allegra, but I usually just take generic claritin because it’s cheap and I don’t need a prescription. I used to take Benadryl at night for an extra “boost”, because I don’t think the 24 hour meds are truly 24 hour, but now they are saying that Benadryl may not be good for the ol’ brain. What’s a person to do?
Anyway, in 1996 I has a systemic reaction to something and ended up in the ER. It’s a frightening experience, as you know. Now I carry an epi pen, but when I get the least feeling that I might be starting another allergic reaction, I get so frightened that I’m not sure if it’s real or if I am talking myself into a panic attack.
I am also insulin resistant (if not outright diabetic by now) and my dad died from complications of the disease. My only sibling is a type 2, also. However, I don’t believe the meds for type 2 do anything but treat the symptom (high BG levels). It’s like getting rid of your cough but not curing the pneumonia. That leaves me with only the diet and exercise options, which I am not so good at. But I keep pressing on, even if it isn’t that effective either. Perhaps type 2 is almost like a slow cancer, and we really don’t know that much about it yet.
(BTW, stlnative, Cardinals fan? I am originally from souther IL and love those Cards!)
I'm sure just about everyone who's been there can identify with that.
Anaphylaxis can kill very quickly. It's a judgment call on the symptoms that you literally cannot afford to be wrong about.
I tried Zyrtec and was OK on it for a couple months but then got the worst depression that I ever had. All the nasty side effects they warn you about.
I'm fine with Singulair, but went off it for a while and didn't notice any difference in my symptoms. But the doctor wants me back on it anyway, just in case.
I did claritin for a while but it stopped being effective. I'm doing Allegra now as it's been years since I've been on it. My dr has me on two a day but says it doesn't cause the drowsiness because it doesn't pass into the brain.
Funny thing is, aside from the allergy thing and bizarre food reactions, I'm in great shape. No diabetes, no high BP, high LDL but great HDL and trig. no arthritis, none of the usual things that come with aging, (except the stupid reading glasses).
I keep telling myself to count my blessings, but there are days that it's pretty hard to do. What I wouldn't give to be able to sit down and eat a bowl of veggie beef soup without worrying about whether it'll kill me of not or if I'd be able to function for a couple days.
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