more mycoplasma info

[norcalmom]

Stumbled upon some research about M.pneumoniae and neuro symptoms, and autoimmune stuff too. Check it.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1029621/

 

check out the mri of this kids basal ganglia in Fig 1.:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/423486

http://microbugs.org/showabstract.php?pmid=6794125

 

and from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/423486_2

 

"The pathogenesis of M pneumoniae-associated neurologic disease is poorly understood. M pneumoniae has been cultured from CSF, and M pneumoniae DNA has been detected in CSF by PCR assay.[7,8] These studies suggest that M pneumoniae may directly cause neurologic disease, although the organism has never been directly isolated from brain tissue.[3] Another theory is that CNS damage occurs through an autoimmune mechanism in which anti-M pneumoniae antibodies cross-react with CNS tissue. Many cases of M pneumoniae-associated CNS disease occur after a respiratory illness has been present for 2 weeks or more, allowing for the production of autoantibodies, which may cross-react with brain tissue to cause neuronal damage. A specific study found autoantibodies to galactocerebroside (a component of myelin) in 3 (100%) of 3 patients with M pneumoniae postinfectious encephalitis and in 8 (25%) of 32 patients with nonneurologic M pneumoniae infection. Only 3.8% of uninfected controls had this specific anti-glycolipid antibody.[9] It is unclear why the basal ganglia would be targeted in some M pneumoniae infections. An underlying metabolic vulnerability of the basal ganglia has been hypothesized.[5]

[Phasmid]

There are several case histories published which profile children and adults who present with neuro symptoms, including tics, who are found to have Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

 

It would be interesting to learn how the symptoms differ from strep associated neuro symptoms.

 

So hard to know- my son has VERY elevated (over 6x normal) IgG against Mycoplasma. It would be a very chronic infection that we are dealing with, if that is what it is. He does not have elevated strep titers, but then again, he doesn't make antibodies to strep, so how do we know? He has been treated LONG enough with several different antibiotics, that he can't possibly have an infection at this point.

 

 

[NewBeginnings]

I haven't posted here in awhile, but thought I'd add our information.

 

My son did (he still probably does) have tiny white foci on his MRI last May. He also has very high titers for mycoplasma pneumonia both IGM and IGG.

 

 

We are entering into the end of our 3rd 6 week cycle and his symptoms increase almost to the calendar date every 6 weeks as he has his flare.

 

We tested his titers in December and his IGM has dropped but his IGG remains the same. When we first changed his abx protocol (after we found out about the mycoplasma pneumonia) we saw dramatic improvement within 3 days of changing meds. I also want to note that the new meds reactivated his tics. Even though it brought out his tics quite badly, almost every other symptom went away within that first week.

 

He continues to improve, with some bumpy days but for the most part, he is doing much much better. I also wanted to mention that his tics were bad for approximately 14 weeks after starting the new abx before they have started to settle back down.

 

I am grateful to all of the parents on this Board and the information you all share. I still wonder where we would be had I not been told about myco p here. Thank you.

[Fixit]

Good find ....thank you...

 

Phasmid..i know you understand stuff alot better than i...

but...per several sites and dr garth?.....myco may need to be treated for years and rotating abx just like lymes...

i don't totally get it..i don't understand alot of things....but the more i do understand...once these kids go autoimmune...i would believe that a stand course of abx is not enough and may need to be continuous over a longer period of time....

[Phasmid]

yah, that's why I gave up and threw in the towel and letting IVIg fix him!