Changes of the international science of chemical sensitivity at the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities?
In January 2006, at the initiative of the Ministry of the Environment, a Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities was founded in Denmark. The Center was designed to offer treatments to those with MCS and research fragrance sensitivities in more detail. The initial hope that originally flowed through this center, funded by the Ministry, was to benefit MCS sufferers and to delve into medical science for those affected. Unfortunately this hope has been shattered by recent publications.
The EMM Blog will publish several articles reporting the consequences for MCS sufferers. Environmental health professionals and organizations must be well informed about the events in other countries and it appears that the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities is striving to clearly influence the international science of MCS.
The second article of a series entitled, “The Danish MCS Research Centre in the International Field of Vision,” was written by a nurse who is suffering from MCS.
If you missend the first article of the series, read here >>
Mette Toft: MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Report from Denmark
What are the interests within the individual research groups regarding MCS?
Bodil Dam Bak Nielsen – In April 2010, an independent group of Italian scientists (De Luca et al.) published their research results, “Biological definition of multiple chemical sensitivity from redox state and cytokine profiling and not from polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes“.(1) The study results have shown that in MCS sufferers, the activity of erythrocyte catalase and GST were lower, whereas Gpx was higher than normal. Both reduced and oxidized glutathione were lower during nitric oxide (NO) / peroxynitrite (ONOO) raised in the MCS group. The fatty acid profile of MCS patients were shifted to the saturated part, and the IFN-gamma, IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1, PDGFbb and VEGF were elevated.
Danish MCS Science Center questions the work of colleagues
In July 2010, the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities and Fragrance Sensitivity reported on their website, (which in the opinion of many Danish MCS sufferers is very questionable research, with the main emphasis on mental health):
“Since this is only a single study (De Luca et al.), it is necessary to review the results and pursue new studies before a conclusion can be drawn regarding the importance of immunological factors in fragrance and Chemical Sensitivities”.
“This is why the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities plans to examine whether heightened cytokines or inflammatory factors can be detected in those with chemical hypersensitivity – REGARDLESS OF CONTACT ALLERGIES”.
Selective control?
The results of the Italians have not only showed increasing of the messenger interferon (IFN)-gamma, but also point to several metabolic parameters for accelerated lipid oxidation, as well as increased nitric oxide production and reduction of glutathione in combination with elevated inflammatory cytokines, which confirms a biological definition and diagnosis of MCS.
Contact allergy, a diagnosis of exclusion in MCS?
The former head of the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, Jesper Elberling , who is the senior researcher and expert, knows that the messenger interferon (IFN)-gamma plays a role in the development of contact dermatitis because of his work in the dermatology department at Gentofte Hospital. This is the cytokine messenger that the Italians have found in their research in MCS patients. The Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities realizes from its own questionnaire that many MCS sufferers also suffer from contact allergies.
Because of this it is important to ask the following questions:
- Is the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, therefore, consciously and deliberately selecting only THIS small part of the research result of the Italians to verify? Shouldn’t ALL research findings be verified before a conclusion can be drawn as to their validity?
- Shouldn’t one of the aims of this planned research study be to look at those MCS sufferers with a contact allergy and not exclude MCS patients with contact allergy to see if the result changes?
- Is the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities able to demonstrate that this result (the De Luca A et al. research) can be attributed, according to a large part of the MCS sufferers who participated in the study, must have suffered from contact dermatitis, and that this research can therefore be attributed to this fact?
Will their study results attempt to discredit the Italian research?
Only then the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities could thus bring the present research results into disrepute, which would neglect the complete research result of the Italians and cast their research in a bad light.
Why not complete control?
This raises the question of why the Science Center has not decided to check the other research results of the Italian scientists who need to be reviewed well before the Center may consider their findings valid.
Martin Pall’s theory (the fatal NO / ONOO cycle), states that among other things, MCS sufferers experience an increased nitric oxide production, which has indeed been demonstrated by the researchers from Italy. The Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities cannot refute this research result.
The Italian scientists have shown that, in accordance with Martin Pall’s theory, the vicious biochemical NO / ONOO cycle,three factors decreased compared to the healthy control group. It is odd that the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities does not have evidence or the desire to disprove this.
It appears that the Italian doctors did not choose to include contact allergies in their research findings. Naturally, most biochemical substances in the body are influenced by many factors or diseases; therefore, the wish to correlate precisely this factor (interferon (IFN)-gamma) with something that is known to influence it as well (i.e. contact allergies) can be seen as an attempt to create uncertainty around the Italian research results. In this way the entire Italian study, and its results that are so important to MCS sufferers, will be questioned. Is this the intended aim of the Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities?
We certainly hope not, and hope that independent scientists will begin to verify the accuracy of all the other results, and not only select a single result, in the hopes of being able to refute the validity of the research.
Author: Bodil Dam Bak Nielsen for CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, August 2010
Translation: Thank you very much to Christi Howarth!
References:
- Chiara De Lucaa, Maria G. Scordob, Eleonora Cesareoa, Saveria Pastorea, Serena Mariania, Gianluca Maiania, Andrea Stancatoa, Beatrice Loretic, Giuseppe Valacchid, e, Carla Lubranoc, Desanka Raskovicf, Luigia De Padovac, Giuseppe Genovesic and Liudmila G. Korkinaa, Biological definition of multiple chemical sensitivity from redox state and cytokine profiling and not from polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, doi:10.1016/j.taap. 2010.04.017, Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2010 Apr 27
- Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, Italiensk studie sætter fokus på signalstoffer, 18.07,2010
Series: The Danish MCS Research Centre in the International Field of Vision
Part I: MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Report from Denmark
Related articles:
- Predictions of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Mechanism Confirmed by Roman Study
- MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity – A Disease Caused by Toxic Chemical Exposure
- Research on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
- Unanimous Vote for Research Center for MCS, CFS, FMS, GWS in New Jersey
- Reckless Self-Interest Of The Fragrance Industry
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