Autonomic Involvement In Subacute And Chronic Immune-Mediated Neuropathies

[Guest Alex]

new article

Autonomic involvement in subacute and chronic immune-mediated neuropathies.

Mazzeo A, Stancanelli C, Di Leo R, Vita G.

Source

Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "G. Martino," 98125 Messina, Italy.

Abstract

Autonomic function can be impaired in many disorders in which sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric arms of the autonomic nervous systemare affected. Signs and symptoms of autonomic involvement are related to impairment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital, thermoregulatory, sudomotor, and pupillomotor autonomic functions. Availability of noninvasive, sensitive, and reproducible tests can help to recognize these disorders and to better understand specific mechanisms of some, potentially treatable, immune-mediated autonomic neuropathies. This paper describesautonomic involvement in immune-mediated neuropathies with a subacute or chronic course.

full text here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703364/

Happy reading.

Alex

[davecom]

Good article with some scary diagnoses... thanks for posting.

[issie]

Many of us are connecting autoimmune issues with our POTS. And it seems to run in families. My mom has sjogrens and my dad Guillain Barre. There is neuropathy on both sides of my family. We know there are autoimmune issues going on with me, but I have not had the lip biopsy yet. My doc at Mayo says he feels that autoimmune issues are at play with many of us, but science isn't there yet to pick it all up for us.

I've been saying forever that I think it's genetics first, autoimmune and inflammation. The more new studies that come out the more convinced I am about this.

Issie

[HopeSprings]

Too bad I've tested negative for each and every one of those things. How can someone have sero-negative AAG - how would they differentiate between someone who has it, but doesn't show antibodies and someone who really doesn't have it?

[Guest Alex]

Naomi,

to the best of my knowledge, in those that are seronegative, a definitive diagnosis is made based on symptoms and the positive response to the type treatment normally administered to those with the positive blood work. If only one could find a doctor willing to initiate treatment ...

The current research is reporting that the blood work for the AAG is a 50-50 deal. Only 50% test positive. The theory behind this is that the antibody isn't necessarily present in the blood/plasma of the patient, but in the fat tissues or other parts of the body. This makes its concentration in the bloodstream to be lower than the 0.05 nmol/L threshold. Also, based on what I've been reading, the titers should be way higher than 0.05 nmol/L in order to warrant an AAG diagnosis, and the symptoms of the patient are actually driving the diagnosis process. There is quite a bit of controversy as far as the numbers are concerned, so different articles list different "ideas".

Alex