The thymus is the most important gland in our immune system. It is composed of two lobes which lie beneath the thyroid gland, above the heart. The health of the thymus is very important, to the extent that our immune system's functioning depends on it. People who have hepatitis C or other chronic infections often have decreased thymus activity, as do people who suffer from autoimmune diseases, allergies, and migraine headaches.
The thymus produces T-lymphocytes, the type of white blood cell which controls "cell-mediated immunity," which refers to the immune mechanisms which aren't regulated by antibodies. This kind of immunity is important because it protects us from infection by mould-like bacteria, yeast infections, fungi, parasites, and viruses, such as hepatitis C. If someone has symptoms from hepatitis C, that person probably has ill-functioning cell-mediated immunity. This kind of immunity is important in protecting us against cancer and auto-immune disorders, such as can often be found in hepatitis C patients.
The thymus gland releases hormones such as thymosin, thymopoeitin, and serum thymic factor. These hormones regulate several immune functions, and low levels of the hormones may cause depressed immunity and make us more defenceless against infections. Usually older people, as well as people with cancer and AIDS, have low thymic hormone levels, as do people under a lot of stress.
Some naturopaths advocate strengthening the thymus. If someone has symptoms indicating that the thymus gland isn't working well, they say it may help to attempt to improve thymus function. This may be done by insuring good nutrition, and by taking antioxidants, such as carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and selenium. The nutrients required to manufacture thymic hormones are zinc, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. The use of concentrates of calf thymus tissue may promote thymus gland activity, as well.
Numerous clinical trials have shown that calf thymus extract is effective in correcting the T-cell defects in HIV infections, preventing respiratory infections in children, treating acute hepatitis B infections, increasing white blood cell counts in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and ameliorating allergies in children. It seems to regulate the immune system, so that it improves the function of the thymus both in cases of over- and underactive immune disorders.
When a person has a chronic infection, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, or chronic post-viral syndrome, the immune system is depressed. This makes it hard for these people to overcome their illness, which in turn leads to infection, which again leads to a damaged immune system, making the person still weaker. By restoring healthy immune function, thymus extracts would theoretically provide the solution to chronic infections.
It has been shown that patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer suffer a drop in white blood cells, similar to what hepatitis C patients undergoing interferon therapy often experience.In the cancer patients, taking thymus extracts has been helpful in preventing that effect. It stands to reason that the same would happen with hepatitis C patients on interferon.
We can use the same reasoning with autoimmune disorders. Thymus extracts have been shown to improve T-helper to suppressor cell ratios in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, so for those of us who have auto-immune problems such as autoimmune hepatitis, cryoglobulenemia, Sjogren's syndrome, or any of the other autoimmune disorders related to hepatitis C, it may be advantageous to take thymus extracts.
No side effects or adverse effects have been reported with the use of thymus preparations. Check with your doctor before beginning any supplements. You might also want to consider the possibility of "Mad Cow Disease."
Joan Diemecke
For more information, see "Enhancing thymus function: The clinical uses of thymus extracts", by Michael T. Murray, ND, American Journal of Natural Medicine, Vol. 3, No. 7, September 1996.
Focus is treatments for patients with AIDS, other chronic, intractable diseases, and disseminated malignancies
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- First Circle Medical, Inc. announced today that it has raised $1.5 million dollars in a private placement and is moving ahead with plans for expanded clinical research and limited sales to appropriate research organizations.The company, incorporated in 1989 as Organetics, is in the business of developing advanced devices, clinical techniques and patient care based on extracorporeal whole-body hyperthermia (EWBH).
The company believes EWBH is a promising treatment option for patients with auto-immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other chronic, intractable diseases such as Lyme's disease, disseminated cancers and hepatitis C. The company's proprietary technology permits blood to be removed from a closely monitored patient, heated by patented products owned by the company to a desired temperature, and returned to the patient in order to elevate the overall body temperature of the patient.
Karl Groth, president, said First Circle Medical will emphasize clinical research during the next two years, with the goal of better understanding the contribution EWBH can make to patients with intractable diseases. "Our goal is to improve the longevity and quality of life for patients with diseases that are not easily treated by other standard treatment modalities," said Karl Groth.
Groth said a key objective of the company's efforts is to advance EWBH technology through the design and manufacture of products and protocols that provide a new level of therapy control for patient safety and therapeutic efficacy. "Using heat to treat illness has been a part of medical practice since Hippocrates.We're committed to advancing whole-body hyperthermia practice with sophisticated technology and better understanding of how this helps patients."
A Phase II, multi-center clinical trial is currently underway to evaluate clinical results in patients with HIV.Preliminary clinical results show positive results in patients with AIDS. A Phase I study of six AIDS patients, initiated in 1995, showed improvement in all six patients following treatment with EWBH, including lower levels of the HIV virus in their blood and enhancement of their overall well-being and ability to work. The results of this study were published in the International Journal of Hyperthermia.
Groth cautioned that the studies are limited in terms of numbers of patients and the amount of time covered by the studies. "While we are encouraged by our findings and those of other researchers in this field, more research is needed to establish the efficacy of our technology for the treatment of specific diseases."
First Circle Medical plans to initiate additional studies in the next few years designed to test the efficacy of the company's technology for treatment of patients with Lyme's disease, disseminated cancers, and Hepatitis C.
The initial phase of the company's business plan calls for the introduction of Temet, a reusable console used to pump blood at a constant rate while adjusting temperature and pressure, in first quarter, 1998. The company-owned devices, featuring proprietary technology for alpha-stat regulation of blood pH and pCO2, will be installed at appropriate research organizations around the world. First Circle Medical will derive revenue by selling to these organizations a disposable Transpak, with the required tubing, sensors and filters, for use with each treatment.
For more information, please contact Karl Groth, president, at 612-781-9778.
SOURCE: First Circle Medical, Inc.
Dear Tim:
It has been increasingly brought to our attention that many of our members are not only frightened by the sizable chunk that the class action lawyers seem to be demanding, but also leery of the strong-arm tactics and possible costs involved in litigation.
To be more precise, recently many of our members have been harassed by some class action lawyers urging them to sign-on (and possibly sign away certain rights) before an uncertain but soon approaching cut-off date. Our members have turned to us for advice in this matter, and, frankly, we are hard-pressed to give them needed direction.
Is there a cut-off date? And is there a penalty-free optout clause? Are these conditions clearly set out in writing? And if so, where?
Finally, at our last monthly meeting one of our members expressed his opinion that even if there were an optout clause in effect, nevertheless, those afflicted with hepatitis C who had signed on to the class action suit would have to pay some kind of costs--and this, even if the class action suits do not proceed.
We would appreciate a clear set of guidelines on this matter. Because of the urgency, a prompt reply would be sincerely appreciated.
Thank you very much
David Smith, Joan Diemecke, C.D. Mazoff
Dear Dave, Joan and Squeeky:
I received your e-mail from yesterday... Firstly, remember we cannot give legal advice and cannot be held responsible if someone is unhappy with a course of action they chose from a list of options we outlined for them to the best of our knowledge.
However, we all know that people seek guidance from us anyway, so all we can do is present them with information as we know it. Here's what I know (or don't know):
Whatever pressure is being exerted from lawyers on members must be happening only in Victoria, because we have not heard it from anywhere else.
Questions: Is this pressure coming from the only two class action lawyers in B.C. --.J. Camp and David Klein, both based in Vancouver? If so, my understanding is that there should be no upfront costs to join a class action. If a settlement is reached, either in court or out of court, then the lawyer's fee could be taken from the client's award. At this point the class is nowhere near trial stage. So, what's the hurry? Except that, maybe the lawyers are concerned that a compensation plan is coming down the pipe soon from the feds and the provinces. I wouldn't sign anything at this point, because access to a future compensation plan will not be controlled by lawyers. Everyone should be able to apply whether or not they have started any legal action.
If this pressure is coming from any other lawyer, then this is an individual action, where the client must pay some upfront costs. Again, I personally would not sign anything or pay out any more fees. I would wait until we see what comes from the governments. If the person is not satisfied with the government offer, they could choose to pursue legal action, either individual or class, if the class action lawyers are also unsatisfied with the offer and continue. People in BC have more options than elsewhere because the two classes cover all time frames before and after 1986-90, so there is no need to pursue individual action at this point, unless the person has lots of money and is not satisfied with the class lawyers.
When people call, looking for the class action lawyers, we still give them the numbers of the four in Canada, depending on where and when they were transfused. There should be no costs involved at this point. They simply put their names on the lawyers list and wait to hear something further. If anything, the legal process seems to have slowed down pending a possible compensation offer from governments. I hope this helps.
If you have any other questions or information to shed light on, please let me know. There are no guidelines because the lawyers make up their own. If this pressure is from class action and continues, we may have to call the lawyers and ask them what's going on.
Tim McClemont
Well, since I last spoke to some of you in print, I've had the opportunity to speak to quite a few of you on the phone and now by email. And some of you might have noticed that, well, sumtimes I'm not as nice as I'm supposed to be. Downright crabby if you ask me - plain old insensitive, etc., blah blah and yodie-doo!
Well, I guess there's really no excuse for being "rude", especially when I'm generally "wunnerful" - except for sumtimes. And them sumtimes happen to be quite frequent recently and I'd like to blame it on my liver. So there!
Speaking of which. Yours trooly just had a Killer of a biopsy. I was in tears! Felt like I had been kicked in the ribs all the way through to my back, and I couldn't take a deep breath for several hours. In the end, or more precisely, by the morrow, the pain was gone. But what ensued was a flare-up of my hep like I haven't had in quite a while. I again experienced a very strong fatigue for just over a week, in which any exercise was out of the question - including going for a walk.
So: I've been tired, and foggy, and achy and mumbly and grumbly. And no wonder why! My biopsy shows that I've made progress. Progress backwardz. Good old Billy Reuben (that's what I call my liver) has now made it to early fibrosis and the inflammation shows me that it's party time down there for all them invading viral particles. Sometimes I swear they've started a trailer park in my portal tract, and they're having one continual hoe-down. I'm almost positive I heard someone singing Willie Nelson tunes down around my midriff the other night. And no, dear, it wasn't gaz!
I'm now the "official" office manager (whatever that means) so I guess it's up to me to tell you all that the phone almost always never stops ringing - which when you come to think of it is really sad. More people with hep. We now have close to 700 people on the bulletin mailing list and it is growing.
We have some new videos and some new books for you. We also have, thanks to Ivan Good, a faster Mac and modem (or is that a Mac with fries and a Coke?) and have been able to increase contact via the Web and email. Response to our Website is fantastic (another reason I'm totally pooped - rotsa woyk!), and as compensation issues come to a head, our ability to stay up to date and on top of it has run us off our feet.
Speaking of which:there's a Dance in Nanaimo Feb. 28 at the Dorchester Hotel at 8:30? and on Friday (27th) February there will be a Hepatitis C Rally at the Parliament buildings in Victoria. The rally will start at 1:30.
And then let's not forget our upcoming "Run for Your Life: Cordova Bay, 5 km Fun Run," June 28, 1998. Volunteers are needed. Call Dave Smith at 388-4311 or email him.
Last:a special thanx to Sandy and Kim, for all the help they give us with the database and the mailing. Look for them up on our Website.
squeek
In my last article, I talked about depression and how I deal with it. I've never been officially diagnosed with clinical depression or bi-polar disorder but I've had bouts of acute depression throughout my life which have no doubt interfered with the normal ebb and flow of things.
The reason I'm bringing it up again is that last time I only obliquely referred to anti-depression medicine as a possible treatment. Yes, it is part of my treatment and yes, I am deriving benefit from its effects. It was pointed out to me by my excellent physician that I might be doing a disservice to you, our readers, by not mentioning this personal but very important piece of information. Not that I am ashamed of my condition, but I hedged at revealing it until I had thought it through.
At the time of my last writing, I was just starting to come out of a deep black hole and wasn't sure which way the wind was going to blow for me. Since that time, though, I've definitely noticed a significant improvement in my outlook, and I seem to have a little more positive energy.
Depression is not something to be ashamed of. People, especially men, have a tendency to feel that there is a stigma attached to the subject of depression. Women, on the other hand, are socialized to be more emotive than men, and, as a consequence, more anti-depressants are prescribed to them. I merely want to make a point here rather than throw open a gender-related debate.
Anyone who doesn't need to take them cannot fully appreciate the mindset of those who do, and if someone was prescribed an anti-depressant drug they didn't need, they would reap no benefit from taking it.
Depression seems to be a byproduct of Hep C. The harder the liver has to work just to perform its normal functions, the more negative the effects on a person's outlook. The body is constantly tired and the sufferer is literally sick and tired of being sick and tired. Add to this the anxiety and worry of being able to continue providing for your family; maintaining a living; keeping a roof over your head; not having the powers-that-be recognize the severity and the potential for a devastating worst-case scenario; and being denied disability payments when, and if, that time comes, then there is a distinct opportunity for depression to become an integral part of your life.
Zoloft, the drug I'm taking, is in the same class as Prozac, perhaps the best known of a specific class of drugs known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. It's one, if not the least sedating, of the anti-depressants. The benefits of Zoloft over Prozac are quite significant for someone with liver disease. It has a shorter half-life than Prozac, thereby reducing the tendency to accumulate and create toxicity. It also affects fewer liver enzymes making it less likely to affect other medications.
It takes about 4 to 5 weeks to start taking effect and now it is safe to say that it was the right drug for me.I've been on it now for 2 months. Thank you, good doctor, for coming thru for me once again.
It is very rare to be first time lucky with a medication of this nature.I must say, at this time, that I was dragged kicking and screaming into this reality.I had always been told that you have to figure it all out yourself, and believe me I tried. My life has been one constant balancing act (5 planets in Libra doesn't hurt) and one long roller coaster ride. My long departed father was a wonderful man, but he was a real promoter of this fix-it yourself philosophy. He was raised in the North of England and spent his formative years (11-17) hiding behind blackout curtains, during WW2 , so ... that's the way he and many others of his generation worked out their problems. As a result, I never considered chemical therapy until this last bout of depression, which was as bad as it had ever been in my life.
One last comment: This worked for me and continues to improve day by day. In no way do I endorse this aspect of therapy for everyone; however, as I intimated in my last piece, if you can't get out of that deep black hole no matter how hard you try, go see your doctor and take it from there. Help is out there for anyone who is willing to be pro-active with his own health, despite the often crippling psychological effects of Hep C..
David Smith
FUNDRAISER
We are offering Tupperware to all our readers.For the next 4 months, 15% of all orders will go to benefit the Victoria Chapter of theHepatitis C Society of Canada.The more we order, the more we benefit.
Please call & mention Hep C Caroline Mah Tel: 386-9260
RALLY
Next Friday (27th) February there will be a Hepatitis C Rally at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria.The rally will start at 1:30. Newspaper coverage is planned, and around 50 hepatitis C patients from other parts = of BC are expected to attend.See you there!Bring placards if possible!