Kim, JohnsMom - It's amazing how Bonnie's discovery puts the pieces of the puzzle old and new, together so neatly.
The following addresses TS/OCD/ADD. The diagnosis would lie
in the degree of vitamin B6 dependency/deficiency, and how long
the person has been in this state. Carl Hansen, Jr. M.D. of
Minneapolis describes celiac disease in several of his TS patients.
This could be a pathway to vitamin B6 deficiency via malabsorption.
Streptococcal infections have also been associated with TS. This
could be a combination of the hyaluronidase's (an enzyme produced
by the hemolytic strep that depolymerizes the ground substance of
tissue) or streptokinase's actions on the blood brain barrier, the
drain of vitamin B6 from the bacteria's own useage, the body's
requirement of B6 for immunity, and the antibiotic's B6 antagonistic
properties. A pre-exising B6 dependency/deficiency could be uncovered.
I read that long ago, but it makes much more sense to me today, than it did when I was overwhelmed with a new diagnosis. Unfortunately until Merck can make some dough off of the histamine connection, this will continue to be poo-pooed by many in the "scientific" community. It seems the new genetic studies fit very well into Bonnie's theory and the notion of an autoimmune connection regardless.