The Fibro Puzzle

I started a thread on another fibromyalgia site called "The Fibro Puzzle" and thought I would share the posts here. This was the first post.

There are many different pieces to the fibro puzzle. I believe though that each puzzle piece, meaning each valid scientific finding and symptom of fibromyalgia, can be traced directly back to missing digestive enzymes called DNase1 and protease. Following are some of the symptoms and valid scientific findings in fibromyalgia.

Low Dopamine
Low Iron
Spinal Cord Changes
Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction
Low B12
Lack of Essential Amino Acids, Such as Tryptophan and Phenylalanine.
Low Vitamin D
Low Magnesium
Osteoporosis
Lack of Acylcarnitine
High Homocysteine
Increased Risk of Developing Hypothyroidism
Increased Risk of Developing Restless Legs Syndrome
Muscle Pain
Fatigue
Brain Fog
Low CoQ10
Low Glutathione
Elevated Tumor Necrosis Factor
Activated Kynureine Pathway
Myofascial Pain
Comorbidity with Psychiatric Disorders, Such as Biopolar Disorder and Depression
Chemical Sensitivity
Seizures
Anxiety
Raynauds
Low Human Growth Hormone
Hair Loss
Adrenal Fatigue
Chronic Itching
Night Sweats
Hormone Imbalance
Association With Other Diseases, Such as Lupus and RA
Mitochrondrial Dysfunction
Dry Eyes and Mouth
Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
Low levels of Endorphins
Mitral Valve Prolaspe
low levels of ATP
Increased risk of Cancer

If each of these symptoms and findings (and any additional symptoms or findings that anyone would like to add) could be traced in a very direct way back to the missing enzymes DNase1 and protease, what would be the odds that these enzymes are not the cause of fibromyalgia? In addition, what if our most definitive scientific findings to date pointed directly at these missing enzymes?

I would like to take each one of these findings and symptoms and demonstrate how they can be traced directly back to these enzymes.

No one knows "the cause" of FMS. Missing enzymes may not be the cause. What causes the enzymes to be missing? There may be a relationship between FMS and enzymes but a relationship does not equal causality. This is a distinction which many confuse and leads people on searches for "the cause and the cure" only to find just a relationship. Finding rellationships can be important but it's important to keep the distinction in mind.

I do believe that any research into our illnesses is beneficial and I'm not trying to take anything away from your theory. I wish you luck. Please let us know what you turn up. Good luck.

Love, Mikie

I don't think I made myself clear. I'm not disputing your findings nor the relationship between low levels of enzymes and hormones and symptoms. What I am saying is that many relationships exist with our illnesses. Relationships are not the same thing as "the cause" of illnesses. Many relationships exist but no one knows the cause of our illnesses.

My peptide injections have replaced incorrect peptide sequences in my brain and my symptoms of CFIDS/ME, FMS and Sjogren's are gone but no one considers these injectons a cure. For many of us, dealing with our symptoms is wonderful but we would still like to find the root cause of our illnesses.

Love, Mikie

Prohealth Administration removed the first few posts because I did not state I had permission to post the abstracts. All of the abstracts are in my book and I have received permission to reprint them. Just to avoid confusion, I will now just be mostly giving the title of the study and pertinent information. Here is the first post again with the abstract body removed.

The first finding I will show can be traced directly back to missing protease (digestive enzyme that breaks down dietary protein) is low dopamine. This was one of Dr. Wood's finding. You can read more about this here. http://fmaware.org/site/News27e36.html?page=NewsArticle&id=5393


Low dopamine levels are associated with the following symptoms:
• Stiff, rigid, achy muscles
• Cognitive impairment
• Impaired motor skills
• Tremors
• Inability to focus attention
• Poor balance and coordination
• Strange walking pattern (gait), frequently with small steps

Dopamine is derived from the essential amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine converts into tyrosine and tyrosine is used in the synthesis of dopamine. That is what "protease" do, they break down dietary proteins and release essential amino acids, such as phenylalanine. If someone lacked these enzymes, they would also lack essential amino acids, such as phenylalanine. Here is a fibromyalgia study that confirms fibromyalgia patients lack numerous essential amino acids, including phenylalanine. The lack of phenylalanine would clearly explain Dr. Wood's finding of low dopamine. In addition, the low dopamine would account for some of the symptoms found in fibromyalgia.

Study is "Altered Amino Acid Homeostasis in Subjects Affected by
Fibromyalgia"

The study found significantly lower levels of phenylalanine,tryptophan, methionine, and other amino acids as well.


[This Message was Edited on 11/16/2012]

In response to my first post, a member from the other forum added serontonin, noradrenaline and gray matter loss to the list. Here is her post.

"I need to add the lowered levels of serotonin, norepihephrine and also the dissipation of gray matter in the brain at more rapid rates than the healthy population. We are literally losing brain cells at a faster rate."

This was my response.

"Thank you~low serotonin, noradrenaline and reduced gray matter are additional findings we need to include. We can address the serotonin, noradrenaline and reduced gray matter now. The production of serotonin is dependant on the essential amino acid tryptophan.(Tyrptophan>5HTP>Serotonin>Melatonin) In the amino acid study above, tryptophan was one of the essential amino acids that fibromyalgia patients lacked, so this would explain the lack of serotonin. In addition, a lack of serotonin would partly account for some of the depression and anxiety that fibromyalgia patients experience.

The lack of the hormone melatonin would also explain another symptom we need to include in fibromylagia, which is the inability to achieve sound refreshing sleep. One important factor of a good night's rest is the adequate production of melatonin.

Adrenaline and noradrenaline are our adrenal hormones. Adrenaline is also one of the neurotransmitters that regulates the autonomic nervous system. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are both derived from dopamine. Dopamine is derived from the essential amino acid phenylalanine, which the study above showed fibromyalgia patients lacked, so this would explain the lack of noradrenaline.

In addition, the following fibromyalgia study states there is a "strong correlation between dopamine metabolism and gray matter".

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19398377

A lack of noradrenaline (norepinephrine) can also lead to myoclonic jerks.
Here is a description of myoclonic jerking or twitches.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Myoclonic+twitches

This study discusses the relationship between low noradrenaline and myoclonic jerks. It states that "NE (noradrenaline) exerts a profound inhibitory effect on
seizure induction."


http://www.jneurosci.org/content/19/24/10985.full

In addition to low dopamine, low iron is another finding of Dr. Wood (Scientific Director of Fibromyalgia Association).
As the following study shows, low dopamine and low iron would lead to another very common symptom of fibromyalgia-restless legs syndrome (RLS). A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that 33% of people with fibromyalgia also had restless legs syndrome.

Dopamine and iron in the pathophysiology of restless legs
syndrome (RLS)
Allen, R. 2004. Sleep Med. 5(4):385-91.

The study concluded that there may be an iron-dopamine connection central
to the pathophysiology of RLS for at least some if not most patients with RLS.

Protease break down proteins into essential amino acids. Dopamine is derived from the essential amino acid phenylalanine, which fibromyalgia patients lack. Protease also regulate iron absorption and cellular iron release as the following study shows.

New insights into intestinal iron absorption
Hörl, W.H. 2008. Nephrol. Dial. Transplant. 23(10):3063-3064.
http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/10/3063.full

Notice the inability to properly regulate iron due to a lack of protease was associated with hair loss and anemia in the study. Iron is the single nutrient most highly associated with hair loss, as it is necessary for the production of proteins that make up a strand of hair. This would explain another common finding in fibromyalgia.

Here are some additional symptoms of low iron. The link following the symptoms provides the references.

Symptoms
Signs of low iron include extreme fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, irritability and headache. Your may experience problems with maintaining body temperature, causing your hands and feet to feel cold. Pale skin, brittle nails, an inflamed or sore tongue and rapid heartbeat are other signs of low iron. Restless legs syndrome, a condition that causes an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, occurs in some people with low iron. Poor appetite and pica, an urge to eat unusual non-food substances are other signs of low iron.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/408169-signs-symptoms-of-low-iron-in-wome n/

Here is an additional study that showed a significant difference in serum ferritin (iron) levels between healthy individuals and those with fibromyalgia. The researchers concluded that low iron created a 6.5 fold increase to the risk of fibromyalgia.

Also, notice in the first paragraph the reference to the reduction in the cerebrospinal fluid of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin found in fibromyalgia.

.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20087382

Hi Jaminhealth~ Here is some info from WebMD on ferritin.

"A ferritin blood test checks the amount of ferritin in the blood. Ferritin is a protein in the body that binds to iron; most of the iron stored in the body is bound to ferritin. Ferritin is found in the liver , spleen , skeletal muscles, and bone marrow. Only a small amount of ferritin is found in the blood. The amount of ferritin in the blood shows how much iron is stored in your body." This is true under normal circumstances, but if you are unable to release iron from the cells, your body will pull ferritin from your bloodstream to keep the iron in the cells from being utilized by cancer cells for instance.

As the study I posted above shows, protease regulate iron absorption and CELLULAR iron release. Here is some information from my book on this.

"Without protease, the cells would not be able to release iron. This would
lead to low serum (blood) levels of iron, but iron overload within the cells.
Numerous studies have shown that cellular iron overload plays a major
role in stimulating cancer. The following study states, “The metal is
carcinogenic due to its catalytic effect on the formation of hydroxyl radicals,
suppression of the activity of host defense cells and promotion of cancer cell
multiplication. In both animals and humans, primary neoplasms develop
at body sites of excessive iron deposits.” (From my book with permission to reprint)

The Role of Iron in Cancer.
Weinberg, E.D. 1996. Eur J Cancer Prev 5(1):19-36.

Taking additional iron that you are not able to properly metabolize could lead to serious consequences.

Hi Jaminhealth~ A lack of protease would lead to low serum levels of iron (and therefore low ferritin) and also iron overload within the cells. I don't think your iron situation is good, but I also don't think the answer is to take supplemental iron, as this will increase your risk of cancer if you have lost the ability to properly metabolize it.

So, really the only answer is to restore your body's ability to properly metabolize iron. You say you get plenty of protease. Can I ask how you are ingesting your protease?

Hi Jaminhealth~I don't think this is something you will be able to fix through supplementation. For instance, DNase1, which digests the DNA in the proteins we eat, does not come in a supplement form. Protease act as digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes. They are released from the pancreas in an inactive form and only become active through a complicated biochemical process that uses many cofactors. There are also many different types of protease. If you take protease at the wrong time or in the wrong form, they can harm normal tissue. Protease and DNase1 are found in certain foods though, such as raw organic fermented sauerkraut. Healing the GI is also an important part of protein digestion. Also many things can damage these enzymes and beneficial bacteria in our GI, so there is a lot to take into consideration. Once we go through the scientific findings on the Fibro Puzzle list we can come back to this.

are you suggesting is missing or dysfunctional?

Secondly you cannot be missing DNAse1 but can have a snp of DNAse1.

If a Snp, which snp are you suggesting is the problem?

DNAse1 can also be downregulated by various pathways. In which way are you suggesting it is downregulated?


Overall are you suggesting the problem is both a dysfunctional/missing protease plus downregulated or faulty DNAse1?
[This Message was Edited on 11/19/2012]

Hi IanH~Here is a ScienceDaily study that states, "Lupus patients, however either lack this enzyme or their DNase-1 is blocked."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503161423.htm

Here is a quote from the study ( I have permission to reprint)
"The scientists also discovered that NETs are degraded by the enzyme DNase-1, a protein which normally is found in the blood. Lupus patients, however, either lack this enzyme or their DNase-1 is blocked."


DNase I is found mostly in the pancreas where it is produced. The Department
of Biochemistry states, “DNase I as a digestive enzyme that is physiologically
regulated is poorly understood. DNase I is mainly responsible for
the digestion of dietary DNA before it can be absorbed into the body.”

Is not a protease.

I agree Ian~ That is why I made the distinction in my previous post by stating, "DNase1 digests the DNA in the proteins we eat."

I don't step outside the bounds of what DNase1 has been scientifically recognized as doing in my discussion of DNase1 and protease, but the Dept. of Biochemistry has stated that "as a digestive enzyme DNase1 is poorly understood". It wouldn't surprise me if eventually it is determined to play a role in protein digestion as well.

Why do you think DNase1 is a suspect? in ME or FM?

I think protease is more involved in ME and FM, but I will be presenting evidence of a lack of DNase1 also. For instance, the low levels of uric acid that that have been found in ME would point directly to DNase1. Uric acid is the final break down product of dietary DNA. If you lacked DNase1 (which digests dietary DNA) you would have lower levels of uric acid.


Uric acid is a potent scavenger of peroxynitrite ( a powerful oxidant).

Both restless legs syndrome (RLS) and fibromyalgia are associated with hypothyroidism.
http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_risk_factors_restless_legs_syndr ome_000095_3.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001463/?report=printable

The thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, are both derived from tyrosine, just as dopamine is. Tyrosine is derived from the essential amino acid phenylalanine. (Phenylalanine>Tyrosine>Dopamine) Just as dopamine breaks down into both of the adrenal hormones, tyrosine breaks down into both of the thyroid hormones.

So, without the essential amino acid phenylalanine (which fibromyalgia patients lack) you would not be able to produce either of your thyroid hormones, nor would you be able to produce dopamine. This would explain why both fibromyalgia and RLS are associated with hypothyroidism.

Here are some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism from WebMD.

Hypothyroidism can cause many different symptoms, such as:
Feeling tired, weak, or depressed.
Dry skin and brittle nails.
Not being able to stand the cold.
Constipation.
Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly.
Heavy or irregular menstrual periods

Which protease(es) are you suggesting? and why?

Hi IanH~

When I use the term "protease", I am referring to the group of enzymes that break down protein. Not a specific protease.


I also wanted to add that every scientific finding I post for fibromyalgia, I can also post a corresponding one for CFS if anyone would like me to. For instance, CFS patients also lack essential amino acids, such as phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is needed to produce dopamine and both of the adrenal hormones and the thyroid hormones. This would explain the "significant adrenal atrophy" found in CFS in this study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10451910

In addition to significant decreases in phenylalanine, the following study also found that CFS patients lacked the branched-chain amino acids; leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The researchers stated that, "Branched-chain amino acids have anabolic and anti-proteolytic effects on muscle protein.

These are not isolated findings. The study states that the "majority" of studies have noted reductions in amino acid levels in CFS patients compared to healthy controls. (I have permission to reprint the following information.)

Hematologic and Urinary Excretion Anomalies in Patients with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Niblett, S.H., K.E. King, R.H. Dunstan, P. Clifton-Bligh, L.A. Hoskin, T.K. Roberts, G.R.
Fulcher, N.R. McGregor, J.C. Dunsmore, H.L. Butt, I. Klienbeg, T.B. Rothkirch. 2007. Exp
Biol Med 232(8):1041-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17720950

Fibromyalgia patients were also found lacking the three branched chain
amino acids (BCAAs) in the study entitled “Serotonergic markers
and lowered plasma branched-chain-amino acid concentrations in
fibromyalgia” (Maes, 2000). The patients had significantly lower levels of
phenylalanine as well. The researchers stated, “Patients with fibromyalgia
had significantly lower plasma concentrations of the three BCAAs (valine,
leucine, and isoleucine) and phenylalanine than normal controls. It is
hypothesized that the relative deficiency in the BCAAs may play a role in
the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia, since the BCAAs supply energy to
the muscle and regulate protein synthesis in the muscles.”