Questions from Readers and Answers from this
Author
Part of supplement, Book 2
by Ching-Chee Chan, Ph.D.
All Rights Reserved
Egret Publishing Inc. January 2000
AIDS
Q: My t-cells have dropped from a normal level of 800 to 250. My
viral load is 120,000. I am 100% healthy and normal. Are these
numbers meaningless or does it mean I do have something wrong
with me? What do you guys recommend?
A: Hansen's bacterium and its antigen can cause the immune system
to become defective, leading to depression in the number of
circulating T lymphocytes and T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratio. One
with a defective immune system can be infected with bacteria and
viruses, including HIV. You can have your blood sample checked
with PCR methods for DNA of Hansen's bacterium.
Q: Isn't this bacterium rarely found in man? It seems the best
course is to eat, sleep, and exercise right and not worry about any
exotic viruses and bacteria unless symptoms of illness show up.
A: Your suggestion is also a reasonable alternative. Infection by
Hansen's bacterium is not as rare as most people think. Many
diseases of unknown causes, such as AIDS, autoimmune diseases,
neurological diseases, cancer . . . etc., may be caused directly or
indirectly by this bacterium. My theoretical arguments are
presented in my two booklets. The shortened versions of these two
booklets are free and available on my web site. Just click the link
below.
Doctors assume too much like you do. Doctors attribute all the AIDS
symptoms to HIV and do not bother checking for Hansen's
bacterium. You do not seek and you do not find.
Q: These are not "answers" but instead subtle form of witchcraft.
You do not start pumping people full of drugs when a cause is not
yet established. You should know "AIDS" is a collection of 23 or 24
diseases? You are barking at the wrong tree.
A: I have never claimed to have anything more than a hypothesis
with correlations. I hope my correlations are convincing enough so
that people with appropriate resources will start experiments to
prove my hypothesis. Based on my hypothesis, I suggest treating
AIDS patients with thalidomide in my first booklet, published in
1992. In 1993, Dr. Gilla Kaplan of the Rockefeller University
published her results of thalidomide treatment on AIDS patients
(Time 1993 July 12: 39). This proves my suggestion was correct. I
consider thalidomide treatment is a major factor in the decline of
the number of deaths due to AIDS.
Einstein did not prove any of his works himself. Most scientists do
not have the resources or the abilities to prove their own
hypotheses.
If you had spent enough time examining my work, you would have
got all these answers yourself.
You are entitled to your opinion of my work. Drug trial is a
legitimate way of finding out the cause of a disease but the probable
pathogen must be detected first. A disease with a broad spectrum
can be mistaken for many separate diseases. Many of these
"diseases" will have similar variation patterns. Some diseases
actually show this trend from 1960 up to 1993, when I checked last
in 1996.
Someone asked Stephen Hawking "How do you know you are
right?" He said everything fitted so well. A well-correlated
hypothesis stands a better chance of being correct but by no means
a certainty. Nothing can replace experiments.
I saw an acquaintance of mine at a dinner party. He was in a wheel
chair due to Parkinson's disease. He knew about my work through a
mutual friend and he asked about my work. I gathered he wanted
me to reassure him that my hypothesis was a certainty. Of course I
could not do that. No one can prove a hypothesis with words. Only
experimental results such as DNA results of Hansen's bacterium by
means of PCR methods can prove a hypothesis.
Q: The experiments have been done. If these bacteria were a
"cause" of "AIDS" then they would be observed in all persons with
"AIDS." But that isn't so. The hypothesis is false.
A: Time will tell what is correct and what is not. I stand by what I
said. When the time comes, I cannot dodge the issue by saying it was
not I but someone with the same initials, because I stated my full
name. I can be identified by sight too because my picture was
published in a scientific journal. When the time comes, I cannot
avoid answering a few awkward questions, if my hypothesis is
incorrect.
Q: I had a very difficult time eliciting your point . . .
A: I am sorry about your difficulties. I had to leave out some
material to shorten the two booklets.
The phenomenal increases in many old diseases led me to suspect a
modified version of the bacterium created in the early 1960s, and
the appearance times of many "new" diseases led me to suspect the
modified version of the bacterium being the cause. Then I cited data
to support my hypothesis. In the process, some data (the asthma
curve) were used to modify my hypothesis slightly.
Q: The bacillus responsible for Hansen's disease is so rarely seen in
the USA. The bacillus is found in some armadillos. You could handle
these creatures every day of your life and never get infected. How
did all of these individuals all over the world become infected with
the pathogen in its newly "mutated" form?
A: The armadillo's body temperature (34 to 36 degree C's, I guess)
is slightly below that of human. At this temperature, Hansen's
bacterium can multiply fast and it can be detected by means of the
conventional method because it is available in large number. The
body temperature of human is 37 degrees C. At this temperature,
Hansen's bacterium cannot multiply but it can multiply on the skin,
upper respiratory tracts, testicles where the temperature is slightly
lower. There are many viruses and bacteria associated with this
bacterium. Some of them are identified but many are not. HIV may
be one of them. Hansen's bacterium does not grow in vitro but the
group of associated viruses and bacteria do. Therefore, the
conventional method is very insensitive in detecting the bacterium.
PCR methods for detecting Hansen's bacterium are only recently
developed and probably not widely used in north America. If it is
not detected, one is presumed not infected. Hence the prevalence is
the result of "guess."
The "mutated" form of the pathogen is purely hypothetical. I
invented it to account for the observed facts. I imagine that the
modified version may be able to remain viable at room temperature
for a longer period than the earlier version hence it is more
infectious.
One way of proving the hypothesis is to employ PCR methods to
detect the bacterium in seriously ill patients (neurological diseases,
musculo-skeletal diseases, Crohn's disease, AIDS, lymphoma, skin,
testicular, breast cancer . . . etc.). If it is present, use the drugs
available to knock out the pathogens. If the patients recover, the
hypothesis is probably correct.
Q: Crohn's disease affects the gastrointestinal tract, and that of
course is generally at or above 38 degrees C. In addition to the
warming effect of cellular metabolism, the bacteria of the gut
generate heat. Hansen's bacterium cannot grow there? Who say the
bacterium cannot be grown in vitro? There is a paper about
growing this bacterium in vitro. There are other hypotheses. Are
they incorrect?
A: Most of the damage is not caused directly by Hansen's bacterium
itself. The antigen of the bacterium upsets the immune system of the
host. Then the immune system overreacts by overproducing TNF-alpha (tumour necrosis factor). Too much TNF-alpha will cause
inflammation of tissue or blood vessels or both. Dead bacteria or
fragments of dead bacteria with antigens are carried by blood
stream to other parts of the host, including the digestive tract. The
immune system seems to have problems getting rid of these debris.
They can last for months and months in the blood stream or get
stuck in some parts of the host's body, causing inflammation. The
higher temperature at the digestive tract cannot prevent the antigen
getting there. The breast of human female should have similar
temperature variation as that of the testicle of human male because
of similar structure hence similar cooling characteristics.
Many scientists are trying to grow Hansen's bacterium in vitro. It is
generally accepted that it still cannot be grown in vitro. If someone
is successful then others will attempt to repeat the experiment. If it
is repeatable, it will be accepted as fact. A few years ago, two
professors conducted "cold fusion" experiments. Some teams even
"duplicated" their results. There might be something significant
there but most researchers could not repeat the results and people
eventually lost interest in this subject.
I do not rule other possibilities out however remote. Other
arguments do not fit as well as this hypothesis.
Q: 1. How do you know that there is over production TNF-alpha?
2. What method have you used to measure the "debris" that you
mention?
3. In the case of tissue inflammation, if that is the major causal
factor of the resulting disease, why not treat it with corticosteroids
and/or non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicines?
A: 1. I do not know. I simply accept the words of experts (see
references 43, 44, 116a or textbooks of internal medicine).
2. I have not used any method to measure the "debris." I am a
physical chemist. I am not capable of conducting life science
experiments. I got the information from textbooks of internal
medicine. The authors do not usually provide any experimental
methods. They just describe the phenomenon or their observations.
They use various terms such as fragments, immune complexes . . .
etc. I use the word "debris' which I may have picked up from one of
these books (see references 39, 94, 116 or other textbooks of internal
medicine).
3. Steroids are still used occasionally. Thalidomide is the drug
currently used, in spite of its teratogenic effect because it does not
shut down the immune system completely like steroids do. Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs seem to be cytotoxic. I am not
aware whether they have been used for this purpose (see textbooks
of internal medicine or references 39, 43, 94, 116, 116a).
References
39. Waters MFR. Hansen's disease. In: Weatherall DJ, Ledingham
JGG, Warrel DA, Eds. Oxford Textbook of Medicine (2nd edition).
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987: 5.305-5.313.
43 Sampaio EP, Moreira AL, Sarno N, Kaplan G, et al. Prolonged
treatment with recombinant interferon induces Erythema
Nodosum Leprosum in lepromatous leprosy patients. J Exp Med
1992; 175: 1729-1737.
44. Tracey KJ, Cerami A. Tumor necrosis factor: an updated
review of its biology. Critical Care Med 1993; 21: S415-S422.
94. Miller RA. Hansen's Disease. In: Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ,
Petersdorf RD, et al, Eds. Harrison's principles of internal medicine
(11th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1987: 633-637.
116. Azulay RA. Reactions in leprosy: clinical aspects. In: Burgdorf
WHC, Katz SL, Hood AF, Malkinson FD, Peters MS, Robinson JK,
Swerlick R. (Eds.), Dermatology Progress & Perspectives The
proceedings of the 18th world congress of dermatology, New York,
June 12-18, 1992. New York: The Parthenon Publishing Group,
1992: 887-889.
116a Naafs B. Reactions in leprosy: immunopathology. In: Burgdorf
WHC, Katz SL, Hood AF, Malkinson FD, Peters MS, Robinson JK,
Swerlick R. (Eds.), Dermatology Progress & Perspectives The
proceedings of the 18th world congress of dermatology, New York,
June 12-18, 1992. New York: The Parthenon Publishing Group,
1992: 890-892.
Q: According to you, Dr. Gilla Kaplan developed the thalidomide
treatment for AIDS. How come we have never heard of her?
A: I do not know why that you have not heard of her. I can only
guess. C. Gorman reported the results of her trials (An old new drug
for AIDS. The notorious sedative thalidomide may give doctors
another weapon to fight a modern plague. Time 1993 July 12: 39.).
And there was another paper in Pro Natl Acad Sci USA. I saw her
on TV. Some of her works tend to be reported in a special way for
reason I do not want to guess. Thalidomide is not a cure and HIV,
on which the mass media are hooked, is more exciting.
Q: Online versions of your hypothesis; AIDS is a collection of
diseases; how do you compare your hypothesis with the argument of
Heinrich Kremer; in other words, is your microbe responsible for
some or all "AIDS defining" diseases? An article "Acquired
Iatrogenic Syndrome" Pneumonias & Lung Diseases by Heinrich
Kremer, Continuum Nov/Dec. 1996, Rethinking AIDS.
A: You could say AIDS is a disease with a thousand faces or many
interrelated diseases caused by the antigen of a microbe,
intercurrent infection (tuberculosis, malaria, syphilis . . . etc.),
stress (mental and physical), chemotherapy including recreation
drugs.
I am not familiar with Dr. Kremer's argument. I do not have time to
read the long article by Dr. Kremer but "Acquired Iatrogenic
Disease Syndrome" or chemotherapy is a condition of my activation
mechanism.
The antigen of this microbe plus malaria, tuberculosis, syphilis,
other infections, physical and mental stress, chemotherapy, drugs
are responsible directly or indirectly for most of the "AIDS
defining" diseases and more, such as Alzheimer's disease, arthritis,
asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, diabetes, Gulf
War syndrome, Lyme disease, motor neurone disease (ALS or Lou
Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, scleroderma, lymphoma,
cancer (skin, testicular and breast).
Q: If HIV is not responsible, then why do AIDS patients have a
decline on their CD4+ T-cells relative to their CD8+ counts?
A: Hansen's bacterium can cause the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells of
patients to decline. This is recorded in most textbooks of internal
medicine. Is it a fact or assumption that HIV can also cause the ratio
to decline? Are AIDS patients checked for Hansen's bacterium by
means of PCR methods?
There are myriads of viruses and bacteria associated with Hansen's
bacterium. They go wherever it goes. These are called associate
viruses and bacteria. Some are identified and some are not.
Whenever these viruses and bacteria are grown in culture media,
they usually turn out but Hansen's bacterium because it does not
grow in vitro. HIV is probably one of them. These act as decoys
misleading scientists investigating AIDS, cancer, chronic fatigue
syndrome, Gulf War syndrome and other autoimmune diseases.
These viruses and bacteria have helped build great careers for many
scientists.
ALS
Q: Are the increases in the incidence rates of these chronic
debilitating diseases due to increase in life expectancy?
A: There is a small increase in life expectancy in the past thirty-nine
years but that can hardly account for changes of such magnitude in
many diseases, e.g., several thousand percent. The ages of patients of
Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease at the onset of the diseases are
lowering. And the numbers are so large that they cannot escape
being noticed. This is certainly not compatible with the argument
that the rise in life expectancy can be accepted as part of the
explanation to the increase in neurological and degenerative
diseases.
Q: Are some of these problems caused by treatments?
A: I agree that many problems are iatrogenic.
Q: Are these diseases caused by pollution and genetic defects?
A: Pollution is being tackled successfully especially in North
America and Western Europe. There is less junk being dumped into
the air, water, and ground compared with the sixties. This does not
fit the variation patterns of those diseases mentioned.
Genetics cannot account for the increases of such magnitude in only
thirty-nine years. Genetics plays a role like faults in a dyke which
does not leak if the water does rise to a dangerous level. It will leak
at the bigger faults first if the water rises to the dangerous level. The
smaller faults will also leak if the pressure rises higher. Assuming
that the number of faults stays constant, the number of leaks will be
depending on the water pressure. Assuming that genetic defects
remain constant for the past thirty-nine years, only a small portion
of the people with genetic defects would develop the diseases under
normal conditions. Bacterial infection is putting extra pressure on
genetic defects to cause more diseases now because a new situation
has arisen. This point has been dealt with in my booklets.
Q: Are the increases due to better detection?
A: Better detection of diseases certainly contributes slightly to the
increases, a few percent but not to such magnitude, a few thousand
percent. Many diseases show such variation patterns. I mention only
a few as examples in my article. The total is listed in my booklets.
The main point of science is the ability to measure and compare
things quantitatively.
Q: Why are so many sick?
A: Since 1960, many "new" immune-related diseases have appeared
and many old ones have afflicted more people. The diseases cover a
wide range from neurological, musculo-skeletal, connective tissue to
skin and digestive tract usually related to infection. This is because,
in 1960, a more virulent version of the bacterium appeared,
resulting in phenomenal increases in these diseases and the
appearance of the so-called "new" diseases. For further detail, see
my article "A Probable Solution"
Q: Many were diagnosed as Lyme disease and later turned out to be
ALS. Why?
A: Both are immune-related and may be activated by different
activators. They are basically the same and interchangeable. They
are two of the many faces of the same disease.
1. What bacterium are you referring to? 2. How do you test for it?
3. What type of treatment should I follow if it is present? 4. Are you
available?
I suspect my illness is due to injuries sustained in professional
football. My suspicion is based on the paper cited below:
J Neurosci 1999 May 1;19(9):3649-55 Upregulation of tumor
necrosis factor alpha transport across the blood-brain barrier after
acute compressive spinal cord injury. Pan W, Kastin AJ, Bell RL,
Olson RD Department of Neurology, Tulane University School of
Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA.
A: 1. I am referring to Hansen's bacterium. My reason of fingering
this bacterium was theoretically justified in my two booklets. 2.
Government laboratories and some commercial laboratories should
have facilities to carry out PCR methods targeting the DNA of
Hansen's bacterium. 3. Normally the standard treatment is a
combination of three drugs: rifampin, diaminodiphenyl sulphone
and clofazimine. There may be a better antibiotic to replace
rifampin now.There may be ENL (erythema nodosum leprosum)
reaction and thalidomide is needed to counteract this reaction. For
further detail, see my two booklets. 4. My degree is Ph.D. not MD. I
am not qualified to treat patients. You need a qualified MD and an
experienced expert (a MD specially trained for this job) on the use
of these drugs. I am available to answer your questions as best as I
can. The antigen of this bacterium can cause the immune system to
become defective. Stress (mental or physical), intercurrent infection
and chemotherapy can activate ENL (erythema nodosum leprosum,
an immune reaction, overproducing TNF-alpha), resulting in
inflammation, weight loss, fever, ache and pain, leading to nerve
damages, arthritis, necrotizing vasculitis and even death. For
further detail, please see my two booklets.
Alzheimer's Disease
Q: What is the bacterium most likely to cause the disease?
A: Hansen's bacterium.
Arthritis
Q: You realise that doctors will not endorse such practice even
though it may be desirable for the patient. The reason is simply that
the studies have not been proven and that is the most frustrating
state of events.
Therefore I ask is it possible to participate directly with you on this
matter?
I want a cure. The approach you have is of utmost interest and
requires full investigation and trial.
A: My hypothesis is well correlated and supported with facts and
data (see the printed and bound versions). The simplest way to
prove my hypothesis is to check the blood sample of the patient by
means of methods based on PCR. If the bacterium is present, any
qualified medical doctor would recommend treatments immediately
whether it causes arthritis or not. The drugs are available and
inexpensive. The problem is that doctors think they can spot the
characteristic symptoms if one is infected. And then they will check
for the presence of the bacteria by means of conventional methods
which work if the bacteria are present in large number. My point is
that the characteristic symptoms will appear only if there are large
number of the bacteria present. The antigens from a small number
of the bacteria may be able to upset the immune system which then
attacks the tissue to cause damages over many years, resulting in
various chronic, debilitating diseases. This is why PCR methods are
needed in order to detect the small number of the bacteria. Medical
doctors do not suspect this bacterium and they do not want to check.
What is needed is for patients to demand checking with PCR
methods targeting the DNA of this bacterium. If patients are cured,
it will prove my hypothesis.
Alternatively researchers can try to infect animals with the
bacterium and see whether it causes arthritis, ALS and other
diseases. It is not impossible but it may take another forty years.
This bacterium infects humans but it is very difficult to get it to
infect animals let alone cause diseases. Of course, further discussion
or help in any form is always welcome. It is reasonable to expect a
cure.
Drugs capable of knocking out this bacterium are already available,
but the treatments can be improved. The problem can be controlled
and stopped quickly but it takes a long time to cure it.
Q: The procedure is one of a simple nature; doctors say it is more
likely to detect it accurately when the disease is active; I would like
to visit you with participation in mind; would the test be also
inexpensive? Use of tetracycline as a treatment with respect to
Mycoplasmas before? Detectable with PCR? Stress in life; are you
in a position to help?
A: The outlines of the procedure may seem to be simple but in
practice, it is not that simple. During chemotherapy, the immune
system may react in a way similar to arthritis or in serious case like
AIDS. This is called ENL (see chapter 2; Book 2), and thalidomide
will be needed to counteract the reaction.
I do not know when the probability of detection will be higher. Your
doctors have the practical experience and I suggest you accept his
opinion.
You can always reach me by e-mail. If it is mutually convenient, we
can make arrangement for an informal meeting. I am encouraged by
your enthusiasm. There has been a good response from the
readers/patients.
I am not familiar with the cost of PCR testing. You could check at
PCR Jump Station
http://www.horizonpress.com/pcr/
especially at Lark, Quantitative PCR
http://www.lark.com/bulletins.html
or better still ask the doctor in charge of your treatments.
I am not sure about your point regarding the use of tetracycline.
The use of this drug has been mentioned and considered to be
effective on an ALS web board, indicating infection may be the
cause of ALS. I do not know how reliable or accurate the
information is.
It is always a good idea to avoid stress. I am glad you are willing to
help. Of course I shall try my best. I am the one spreading the idea.
Q: My five-years-old daughter is suffering from inflamed joints all
over her body. What do I do?
A: Discuss thalidomide treatment with her doctors.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Q: I read your article. I've been sick for over 15 years and am
certain that there is something infectious going on. Have you had
any success in treating people with Rifampin?
A: I suspect the culprit is a bacterium. The standard treatment is by
a combination of three drugs, one of which is rifampin. This
combination has been proven successful against this bacterium (it is
recorded in the literature. The work was carried out by experts, not
by me). But the first thing is to find out whether you are infected
with this bacterium. These drugs are not to be taken without careful
consideration. The shortened versions of my two booklets explain
the rationale of using PCR methods to detect the bacterium and you
have to discuss with your doctors, regarding the course of action.
You have to ask them to find an appropriate expert on these drugs
to treat you if you are tested positive for this bacterium. If you want
the file containing the shortened versions of my two booklets, please
let me know.
Crohn's Disease
Q: I got Crohn's disease and fibromyalgia. My organs are shot,
pancreases, liver, kidneys. Are you saying that there are probable
treatments for all these? Why the doctors do not realize these and
help us? Are you saying viruses and bacteria cause all these when
the immune system fails?
A: Yes, it makes sense to me.
My point is that the antigen of a certain bacterium can cause the
immune system to go crazy under certain circumstances and then
the crazy immune system attacks blood vessels, bone, and muscle
tissues, causing damages to organs. It is very difficult to detect this
bacterium by conventional methods unless it is present in large
number. PCR, invented in the eighties, can detect the bacterium,
even it is present in small number. Medical doctors do not suspect
this and do not look for it. If you do not look, you do not find. If the
bacterium is detected, it can be treated with a standard combination
of three-drugs, one of them is rifampin or a derivative of rifampin.
My hypothesis is explained in detail in my two booklets. The
shortened versions of the booklets, which can be e-mailed as an
attached file, are available free to responsible adults on request. You
can show the file to your doctors if you like. The hypothesis can be
proven if you are cured with the methods based on my hypothesis. I
depend on you and your doctors to prove my hypothesis. I thank
you in anticipation.
Q: In addition to Crohns I have fibromyalgia, arthritis, a melanoma
(removed successfully). I was under severe emotional stress for
about seven years and it was during this time that these problems
developed. I have wondered if stress could have contributed.
A: It is a very well known fact that stress can cause a defective
immune system to act up, resulting in damages of various tissues.
Q: What is your opinion on mycobacterium paratuberculosis as a
plausible cause of Crohn's disease with reference to the studies of
Dr. John Hermon-Taylor of London?
I also participated in a study testing antibiotics as a plausible cure
for Crohn's disease. I was not successful in this adventure but I am
not sure why.
A: mycobacterium paratuberculosis may be an opportunistic or
intercurrent infection. Actually I suspect another mycobacterium to
be the cause of Crohn's disease. The subject described in the
Hermon-Taylor article in eBMJ is very young and his immune
system could have been successful in containing the real culprit as
soon as the intercurrent infection was removed. This is also a
probable explanation for your lack of success in your antibiotics
trial. Were you checked for infection for mycobacterium
paratuberculosis?
Q: What is your interest in Crohn's disease? What is your
background? Are you affiliated with any hospital or group?
A: I used to work for a coatings' manufacturer. I resigned to work
on this problem full time. Now, I am just a research scientist, not
affiliated to any group.
Q: I have been to your web site but I am not sure I understand it all.
I wish to know more about your hypothesis for a cure. Please be
more specific.
A: I shall explain my hypothesis in detail from the very beginning. I
am a physical chemist specialized in reaction kinetics. This is a
branch of science that chemists use to track step by step how
molecules react. Now I use the same principle to track how diseases
spread or infect people, hence the cause or causes. Since the early
1970s, there have been a lot of data and observed facts accumulated,
the so-called information explosion. If the information is properly
processed and correlated many useful results may be obtained.
Some of these results are the variation patterns of several diseases.
These indicate many diseases such as AIDS, Alzheimer's disease,
arthritis, asthma, Crohn's disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease,
lymphoma, cancer (skin, testicular and breast) are related because
they vary in a similar manner. There is one mycobacterium known
to cause or is linked to most of these diseases. That is Hansen's
bacterium. This bacterium is known to cause Hansen's disease
which has a wide spectrum covering muscle, bone tissues and the
peripheral neurological system. The diseases of the central nervous
system, not known to be caused by Hansen's bacterium, are
assigned to the unknown parts of the spectrum (there is a parallel
case in the history of science that is the construction of the periodic
table of the chemical elements). This is consistent with my
hypothesis that a modified version of Hansen's bacterium appeared
in 1960, causing the changes in the variation patterns of many
diseases.
There is a group of viruses and bacteria associating with Hansen's
bacterium. They go wherever it goes and only some of them are
identified. I suspect these act as decoys (as indicators in some cases),
attracting the attention of the scientific community, resulting in
great waste of time and money. Remember the war on cancer?
Viruses were suspected as cause or causes of cancer. Now scientists
suspect HIV and mycoplasmas for causing AIDS, ALS and Gulf war
syndrome respectively. Mycobacterium paratuberculosis has been
suspected for causing Crohn's disease for quite a long time. I
suspect these are members of that group of viruses and bacteria
associating with Hansen's bacterium.
The morality of the scientific community is no longer the same as
that during the time of Darwin and Newton. Some scientists
presented a hypothesis as a proven theory. If they were challenged
on this point they would say "It is the virus, stupid." The general
public accepted it. This was how a hypothesis became a "proven"
theory. Whether my hypothesis can be proven, it depends on people
who are willing to try it. My hypothesis may be briefly stated as
following:
A modified version of Hansen's bacterium appeared in 1960,
causing overproduction of TNF-alpha, leading to inflammation of
blood vessels, resulting in the increases of incidence rates of many
diseases.
PCR methods can detect Hansen's bacterium but it has to be
targeted first. That means the operator has to suspect the bacterium
being present first and make the necessary arrangement. If a patient
is tested positive for Hansen's bacterium, a combination of
diaminodiphenyl sulphone, rifampin and clofazimin is normally
prescribed, with thalidomide to suppress ENL which is a very
damaging immune reaction normally occurs after commencing
treatment. These drugs are inexpensive and there may be better
antibiotics available now.
A few years ago, people were unwilling to accept the possibility that
some of these chronic debilitating diseases might be caused by
infection. It is very unpleasant to discuss infection, especially,
infection related to Hansen's bacterium. It is something cultural or
religious. Scientists have to think with their heads, not with their
hearts. I can understand the circumstance Charles Darwin had to
face.
Vaccines and Pretreatments
(Gulf War Syndrome)
Q: I am an US air Force reservist and I have developed arthritis-like
symptoms in my hands. Could this be caused by the anthrax
vaccine series (three shots over a month)?
A: There is a probability that your problem could be activated by
the vaccinations but it is not possible to be certain. Did you have
similar problems before the vaccinations? Did the problem occur
soon after the vaccinations? The closer the timings, the more likely
it was activated by the vaccinations. I am sorry. I am not very
helpful.
Updated on January 3, 2000.