Dr. Martin Pall’s theory about MCS confirmed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland, OR – July 5, 2010 – The physiological mechanism for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity proposed by biochemist Martin L. Pall has been confirmed with the recent findings of an independent research group in Rome.

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), also known as chemical sensitivity and toxicant-induced loss of tolerance (TILT), is a disease initiated by toxic chemical exposure, leading to toxic brain injury that produces high level sensitivity to the same set of chemicals that are implicated in initiation of the disease. Sensitivity responses in other areas of the body are also often seen.

“Epidemiological studies show that MCS is a stunningly common disease, even more common than diabetes,” said Pall, professor emeritus of biochemistry and basic medical sciences at Washington State University. “My review of the literature and other research I’ve conducted over the past eleven years shows the probable central mechanism of MCS is a biochemical vicious mechanism, known as the NO/ONOO- cycle.”

Pall’s work is widely published in books and articles, the most recent of which is a chapter in the authoritative international reference manual for professional toxicologists, General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition, 2009.

The NO/ONOO- cycle

The NO/ONOO- cycle, pronounced no-oh-no, is named for the chemical structures of nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-). This biochemical vicious cycle mechanism predicts that each of the elements linked together in the cycle are elevated in patients suffering from MCS and related diseases. Most of the elements of the cycle have been shown to be elevated in such related diseases as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and also in animal models of MCS. However, several cycle elements have never been measured in MCS patients.

The recent study conducted by the research group in Rome is significant in regard to the NO/ONOO- cycle theory because it shows that three elements of the cycle are elevated in MCS patients (De Luca et al, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2010, April 27 Epub ahead of print). Those elements are the inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, and oxidative stress. Each of these measurements provides important confirmation of the disease mechanism proposed by Pall.

The inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide elevation have never before been measured in MCS patients, although they have been shown to be elevated in animal models of MCS. Oxidative stress has been reported in two earlier studies of MCS patients, but the data provided in the De Luca et al study are much more extensive than are the earlier data. Consequently, these new data all provide important confirmation of the NO/ONOO- cycle as the central disease mechanism in MCS.

The NO/ONOO- cycle also is useful in understanding the role of toxic chemicals in MCS and the role of treatment. Each of the seven classes of chemicals implicated in MCS are thought to act indirectly to increase the activity of the NMDA receptors, which are glutamate receptors for controlling synaptic plasticity and memory function. This activity, in turn, leads to rapid increases in intracellular calcium (Ca2+), nitric oxide and peroxynitrite (ONOO-), acting to greatly stimulate the NO/ONOO- cycle.

“Many of the agents used by environmental medicine physicians to treat MCS patients can be viewed as lowering different parts of the cycle, and thus are validated in part by this mechanism,” Pall said. “Consequently, the NO/ONOO- cycle mechanism can be viewed as validating therapeutic approaches used in environmental medicine in the U.S., in Germany and some other areas of Europe and in some other countries.”

Contact:

Martin L. Pall, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences

Washington State University

(1*) 503-232-3883

martin_pall@wsu.edu

Main web site: www.thetenthparadigm.org

German Website: www.martinpall.info

Related Articles:

• MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, a disease caused by toxic chemical exposure
• Martin Pall about genetic evidence and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
• Chemical Sensitivity – MCS and a number of medical conditons respond positively to Sauna Therapy
• MCS-Multiple Chemical Sensitivity at “General and applied Toxicology 3rd Edition”

The author, Ryozo Tamakoshi is a member of the Japanese organization CACP – Citizens Against Chemicals Pollution.

On February 22, 2010, a conference called “The 1st Meeting for Learning Chemical Policies for Enacting a Basic Chemical Law” was held in the House of Representatives in Tokyo. In view of his chemical and electromagnetic sensitivities, Ryozo Tamakoshi gave a lecture on MCS. This was a matter of particular concern for him, as his health troubles were caused by chemical exposure. The conference focused on the topic ‘Security of Chemicals’ and the need to create a new policy for more careful handling of chemicals – important basic principles for all the Japanese people who have to live with MCS.

Talk of Ryozo Tamakoshi / Citizens Against Chemicals Pollution

As a patient with multiple chemical sensitivity, I must share with you some important things.

I have multiple chemical sensitivity and electromagnetic sensitivity. The onset of multiple chemical sensitivity begins differently among individuals as do the corresponding symptoms. In my case, I gradually became chemically sensitive. I think my symptoms are relatively mild compared to others with this condition. Some patients are seriously compromised and can hardly leave their homes to participate in a meeting like this one. I have some risks going out in public, but think it my duty as one who can actually attend a meeting like this one, to enlighten others regarding this condition called multiple chemical sensitivity or MCS. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude for your allowing me the opportunity to speak to you today. Thank you. I would like to discuss seven points. As you listen, please consider that my findings are based on personal experiences.

1. One cause of multiple chemical sensitivity is the toxic effect of extremely low levels of chemical substances.

On October 1, 2009 in Japan, the Medical Information System Development Center (MEDIS-DC) – a subsidiary organization of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) – registered “multiple chemical sensitivity” as “ICD-10 Japanese standard disease master”. Multiple chemical sensitivity was classified in Japan into ICD-10 code T65.9 – “Toxic effect of unspecified substance, Poisoning NOS”.

Please look at the following material (1)(2).

From these references, it is well understood that multiple chemical sensitivity is classified into “Toxic effect of substance”

(1) T65.9 ICD-10 WHO

Chapter XIX: Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98)

T51-T65: Toxic effects of substances chiefly non-medicinal as to source

T65 Toxic effect of other and unspecified substances

T65.9: Toxic effect of unspecified substance Poisoning NOS

(2) The Japanese name of diseases classified into “ICD10 code T65.9″

The Japanese name of diseases

1. multiple chemical sensitivity
2. systemic poisoning
3. poisoning
4. accidental poison ingestion
5. attempted suicide by taking poison

In Japan, it is clearly thought that the cause of multiple chemical sensitivity is a “Toxic effect of chemical substances” . And frankly speaking, this means that if there were no chemicals which had toxic effects, people wouldn’t become chemically sensitive.

As you can see, I cannot live without a double gas mask now. (VOC mask and activated carbon mask) Especially in winter, I cannot take this mask off even when I sleep at night because the heating machine in the nearby greenhouse operates at night and gases are released. The manufacturer of the heating machine writes in the catalog on the internet as follows, “Flue gases are extremely harmful to human health and crops. Please be sure to release them outdoors”. Why is it allowed to release such harmful gases outdoors?

My biggest fear in winter has been these gases. When the gases are released, suddenly I smell burning, start coughing, phlegm occurs, and my eyes become painful. Furthermore, my mouth becomes bitter, I have tongue numbness, and I feel poisoning (discomfort) of the internal organs, especially to the digestive organs. Then, I have strong fatigue throughout my body so I lie on the floor and sleep eventually.

I cannot prevent the bad influence of these gases now, even if I have on a gas mask and use air purifiers in my home. When my house is in the upwind side of the greenhouse, I am relatively safe. But when I am downwind, I am always pushed into the hell. To avoid these gases, I often sleep in my car, away from my house, or sometimes in a rice field or on a mountain. This is just one example of the difficulties I face with multiple chemical sensitivity.

For me, the current world, no matter where I live and go, is a toxic or poisonous world. The toxicity of substances at the level of ppm and ppb has a big influence on my health. My daily health disorders due to the exposure of many harmful chemicals cannot be simply explained by an allergic reaction any longer. The doctors who examined my symptoms only from the perspective of immune disorder failed to make proper diagnosis of my symptoms.

I think that it is impossible to understand the essence of multiple chemical sensitivity without focusing on the complexity of many chemical toxicities and patients’ symptoms.

I do not use the word “poison” (toxic effect) emotionally. I only use the word “poison” (toxic effect) to explain daily, normal phenomena, because I cannot live without a gas mask.

2. The reality of multiple chemical sensitivity is the result of complex toxic effects of many chemicals and it is spreading out all over the world.

Modern society is full of so many chemicals. Life without chemicals is no longer a possibility. Of course there exist many chemicals with toxic effects. We are living with the complex pollution of them. New chemicals have been produced one after another without enough consideration of the influence of chemicals on ecosystems and without confirming whether those are safe for human beings and creatures. Thus, the “toxic world” has been spread globally.

I have been in contact, via the internet, with international patients who have multiple chemical sensitivity and environmental illness. I have come across sorrowful cries of patients, warm words of empathy to comfort one another, and powerful protests and demands against our “toxic world”. Moreover, I’ve received a lot of essential information about MCS and environmental illness which is reported on the internet to the entire world. Complex chemical pollution has now spread out all over the world.

3. Multiple chemical sensitivity cannot be separated from other developmental and chronic multisystem illnesses caused by the environment.

Multiple chemical sensitivity cannot be separated from other environmental illnesses such as sick building syndrome, allergic diseases and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. We must not only focus on the chemical pollutants, but must also look at other environmental factors such as biological infectious agents and electromagnetic fields. Many patients with MCS also have allergic diseases and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. This condition is a complex one.

Consider expanding your perspective on developmental disorders. In Japan, developmental disorders mean a pervasive developmental disorder, high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, a learning disorder (dyslexia) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc. Currently, there are a lot of research papers detailing that environmental factors (chemicals) may cause the appearance of those developmental disorders. The increasing number of these reports is more and more available.

I have been supporting two children with developmental disorders at home while considering chemical pollution as the cause of these types of disorders. People around them don’t understand them, which gives the children worries and suffering. Their situation seems to be similar to ours. Supporting their study is my pleasure.

4. Some common effects can be seen in MCS, but each person has different symptoms. Therefore, there are various difficulties and disabilities due to MCS. Comprehensive supports are needed for the various difficulties and disabilities.

I think it very important to understand the individual symptoms in connection with various difficulties and disabilities in life. I strongly wish industrial accident authorization and disability authorization would reflect precisely the situation of the patient and be performed promptly. It is positive that industrial accident authorization and disability authorization of MCS have been actually recognized in Japan. However, the form of documents for disability authorization is partly inappropriate, so the paperwork can’t be filled out precisely. I think the forms and documents should be immediately edited and improved.

Guaranteed rights of medical care, welfare, labor, housing and pension corresponding to the state of every person are written in Japan’s Constitution.

5. To protect patient’s lives and health, to treat symptoms, and to recover health, should be top priority, in addition to avoiding exposure to toxic substances and ensuring safe and secure places to live.

For patients with MCS, the most important thing is to avoid exposure of toxic substances.

In particular, ensuring emergency evacuation of patients has become an urgent issue.

But it is very difficult to secure a safe place by one’s own effort. To reduce a heavy personal burden, some support by the authorities is absolutely necessary for the patient. In addition, it should be emphasized to make available all correct information about harmful chemicals to all citizens.

6. We have a serious problem. We are often attacked by the feeling of isolation, loneliness, anxiety, fear, and helplessness.

This is one of the most serious and important problems. MCS patients around the world, just like us, worry and suffer. Sadly, there are still some people who commit suicide in despair. When people around me, including my family, can’t understand my physical and mental state, I have a terrible feeling of loneliness.

Continuous bad health conditions, anxiety and fear of a sudden chemical attack, and isolation from participation in society, leaves me with a feeling of helplessness and despair. To break this ongoing cycle, mutual support among friends and society is needed. The social recognition and the social support are absolutely necessary.

When exposed to toxic chemicals, I get irritated, impatient and sometimes get in a bad mood. I cannot smile. Unfortunately, these behaviors are not viewed as a result of the individual’s chemical poisoning but instead a problem with the individual’s heart, which is not the case. In order to prevent the unfortunate misunderstandings like these, it is very important that we spread correct information regarding this condition and strive for the recognition of MCS. We must support those who are apt to have low self-esteem and affirm those with chemical sensitivity so they may live freely in peace, and participate in society with more pride.

7. The eight basic principles of “Basic Law on Chemicals Policy” that ChemiNet has proposed should be respected.

All the basic principles listed below are very important.

The many problems regarding multiple chemical sensitivity will be solved fundamentally in the process of policy formulation and implementation of the comprehensive chemicals on these basic principles:

1. Production and use of chemicals for a sustainable society (The reduction the amount of chemicals)
2. No Data, No Market principles
3. Consideration must be given to the people ( fetus / child) who are most vulnerable and also to the ecosystem
4. Lifecycle management must be initiated (From research and development to production, use, recycling and disposal
5. The precautionary principle must be respected
6. Alternative principle must be initiated
7. The participation of all people concerned. The collaboration principle must be implemented
8. International cooperation must occur

Author: Ryozo Tamakoshi

Thanks to Christi and Larry for reading correction.

Related Articles about MCS in different countries:

• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity recognized as physical disease at ICD-10 in Japan
• Spanish Workgroup met with Ministery of Health to create a MCS Consensus Document
• Italian Parties united under MCS cause
• The Department of Health of the Austrain Government recognizes MCS as a physical Disease
• German federal institute for occupational safety and occupational medicine mentioned Multiple Chemical Sensitivity at Thesaurus Safety and Health at Work
• MCS registered as physical disease at ICD-10 in Germany

MCS - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity / Photo © Loli Vicente

Photos requested for Collage about living with MCS

A few days ago, Lola Vicente, a Spanish woman with MCS, shared an inspiring photo on Facebook. When I saw her picture I had the idea to make a collage with pictures of people with MCS to post it on NO FUN, because lately my blog is having a lot of visits (more than 3.000 the day that I was interviewed at national radio RNE or the day that MCS was featured on popular TV show in Spain) and many of the readers aren’t people with MCS. I thought that it would be a great moment to show to the society that there are a lot of people living with MCS and nobody will manage to silence us. I proposed this idea on Facebook and it was well received.

I have named the project “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity uncovered”. NO FUN, my window to the outside world, opens to people with MCS from all around the world so we can show that there are a lot of people living with MCS.

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that, as some of you know, I have recently closed my personal Facebook account so that I can focus on my health. You can still stay in touch with me through my blog NO FUN and my 2 Facebook pages: for my blog and for my book.

If you suffer MCS and you want to join this project, you can send your photo (with your country and your name or pseudonym), before September 30th to this email account fotos.sqm@hotmail.es (this account has been created exclusively for receiving the pictures and it will be closed once the project ends). The photos can be you with a mask or without a mask but where MCS can be identified. More than photographic quality, I’m looking for the visual impact of all the pictures together.

I hope you like the project and you join it!

NOTE: I’m open to share the collage with any other blog or website from all around the world that wants to post it.

Eva Caballé, No Fun Blog, June, 9, 2010

More Articles from Eva Caballé:

• Manifesto: We know they are lying to us
• One of the most popular TV Channels started the News with a report about Chemical Sensitivity
• Metamorphosis inside Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
• Interview with Eva Caballé about MCS and her book
• The naked truth about MCS, including foreword about German Situation

International Appeal from Wuerzburg

The European Academy for Environmental Medicine (EUROPAEM) invited many renowned national and international scientists and health care professionals to a medical conference held in Wuerzburg, Germany from April 23 to April 25, 2010. These professionals were from the fields of environmental medicine, toxicology, immunology, neurology and genetics and other health fields as well as physicians and dentist. Also in attendance were representatives of patient initiatives. The theme of this international medical conference was Science Meets Practice. It dealt specifically with the issues of Neuro- Endocrine- Immunology and their importance in environmental medicine.

Greatly concerned, participants noted the increasing prevalence of chronic multisystem illnesses such as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CSF), fibromyalgia (FMS) as well as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, auto immune diseases, and cancer.

At the conference it was impressively demonstrated that these chronic diseases are based on similar pathological mechanisms. Common mechanisms are chronic inflammatory processes influenced by environmental factors including chemical pollutants, biological infectious agents, and electromagnetic field (EMF) triggers.

Chronic diseases mean long-term patients and such patients require consecutive higher medical costs. This often leads to social exclusion of the affected people. Facing the appalling reports of Europe´s growing financial constraints, especially in public health, a further increase of chronic illnesses will accelerate the ongoing collapse of the National Health Service and medical insurance companies in Europe. Remedy is only possible with a change of priorities from today´s unilaterally symptomatic oriented medicine to causally oriented medicine focusing on cost-effective primary prevention.

Conference participants addressed an urgent appeal to the European environment and health ministers, to the European Commission, the European parliamentarians, national governments and to the directors of social and private insurance companies. They urge them to take these findings and developments into serious consideration, stressing and weighting financial investments primarily in prevention, precaution and best early detection and diagnosis of these chronic and environmentally related illnesses.

All over Europe this requires the full awareness of these research findings of the practicing physicians of environmental medicine and their integration into university research and teaching. The European governments are asked to finally implement the already ratified decisions of the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health Ministers held in Budapest in 2004.

This appeal was unanimously adopted by the congress.

Wuerzburg April 25, 2010

For the board of EUROPAEM,

Jean Huss, Vice-Chairman

Dr. Kurt Mueller, Chairman

Dr. Peter Ohnsorge, Managing Chairman

Dr. Hans-Peter Donate, Press, Responsible

• German Version – International Appeal from Wuerzburg
• Japanese Version – International Appeal from Wuerzburg / Thanks to Takeshi for translation.

Carne Cruda gives the scoop on the meeting of the working group to create a document of consensus on the Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Spain held in the Ministry of Health on April 21th 2010

“I’m your fan”. This was the title of the post in the blog of Carne Cruda, Spanish radio program, on October 22th where they asked people about their favorites songs. José Luís Aparicio posted a comment with his 10 favorite’s songs and the last one he chose was “No Fun” by The Stooges. But his choice went beyond the music, and, as he explained, he chose “No Fun” because my blog was named after this song. He also explained what MCS is (illness that he also suffers) and he asked Carne Cruda to talk about MCS and he also mentioned the interview that Salvador L. Arnal did with me for Rebelión.

4 days after I received an invitation from Carne Cruda through the editorial El Viejo Topo to interview me to talk about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

On November 2009 4th I was interviewed on Carne Cruda and I met José Luís Aparicio. They were so shocked by MCS that next day the show’s director explained during the radio show that they would contact the Ministry of Health because they wanted to interview the Minister of Health in their show and talk about MCS and to explain to them the terrible situation of the MCS sufferers.

This is how all this started. After a lot of calls to the Ministry of Health without receiving any response, last December they did a live phone call during the radio show and they finally had to accept. On January 15th 2010 José Martínez Olmos, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, was interviewed on “Carne Cruda, in a special show devoted to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity with Miguel Jara, Dr. Pablo Arnold, José Luís Aparicio and David Palma on behalf of me. He made the public commitment to meet with associations that deal with MCS between ten and twenty days after the show.

On February 4th 2010 was held the meeting with Ministry of Health to state the situation of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity sufferers in Spain. A petitions document done by MCS associations under David Palma’s coordination was submitted. One person by each MCS association attended to the meeting and also Jaume Cortés, lawyer of Colectivo Ronda, and Dr. Pablo Arnold. Also a copy of “Desaparecida: Una vida rota por la Sensibilidad Química Múltiple (Missing: A life broken by Multiple Chemical Sensitivity)” was hand delivered on behalf of me, as an example of what MCS sufferers have to go through in Spain. Representatives of Ministry of Health committed to contact MCS associations to jointly agree on experts to form a Scientific Committee to create a document of consensus on the MCS.

Then the 13 MCS associations set up the “Comité para el Reconocimiento del Síndrome de Sensibilidad Química Múltiple” (committee for the recognition of MCS in Spain) to have an unanimous voice for this process. The committee elaborated the list of doctors and the Ministry of Health invited all the 11 doctors nominated by the associations and 16 people from the Ministry of Health, between doctors and consultants, to attend to a meeting on April 21th 2010.

The first impression is positive. The working group elaborated the schedule and they agreed to create a draft of the document of consensus on the MCS to be review by MCS associations in September/October 2010. The reviewed document will be published by the Ministry of Health in December. They stated that this is the first step to make possible the inclusion of the MCS in ICD-10, i.e. its official recognition as disease in Spain.

It will be published an official press release but the day after the meeting, Carne Cruda gave the scoop, since is thanks to Carne Cruda that we are in this process and we wanted to give them our gratitude. David and I gave this great news during the program and Javier Gallego, the director and host of Carne Cruda, was really moved.

Thanks to José Luís Aparicio and special thanks to all the team of Carne Cruda, led by Javier Gallego, because if they wouldn’t have been interested in MCS, this would never have happened. I told them during the program, but I want to repeat again here:

Thanks in the name of all people with MCS!

Translated by Eva Caballé.

-

CSN says thank you to Eva for the permission to reprint!