-----Original Message-----

From: Blastocystis 'hominis' Research Foundation [mailto:director@bhomcenter.org]

Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 10:39 PM
To: '#######ail.com'

Subject: Blastocystis 'hominis' reply
Hi Dan,

Thanks for the note. That information is very helpful. I posted your account to our web page.

Many people don't realize how serious this disease will become in otherwise healthy adults. Most of all, they don't realize many otherwise healthy people will be unable to work, or perform normal daily functions once they are infected. The disease is our modern day version of the E. histolytica epidemics of the last century. In those days, they referred to this as "debility." I have multiple accounts of civilians with this disease who are on social security disability, as well as veterans with these symptoms who are on 50% to 80% disability.

Briefly, we believe Blastocystis 'hominis' produces a substance similar to  Lipopeptidophosphoglycan (LPPG) which activates two receptors in the host's innate immune system, TLR-2 and TLR-4. LPPG-like chemicals are used by many different parasitic organisms. When both receptors are activated, the host will either clear the infection, or develop an immune response that counters the ligand. A certain percentage of people have naturally occuring mutations that cause TLR-4 to respond less actively, and that allows TLR-2 to keep being stimulated. Over time, TLR-2 activation down-regulates host's immune processes, and in many people, the host winds up with chronic GI illness, severe fatigue, and many other problems. The only way we know how to fix this is by eradicating the Blastocystis 'hominis'. But none of the drugs in use are doing that reliably, and as you found, none of the major health agencies are taking ownership of the problem. It's funneling an amazing amount of money out of families' bank accounts into the medical community.

On our web site, you might note we are recruiting Gulf War Veterans with Gulf War Illness. When the veterans came back from the Middle East, about 40% of them had Blastocystis 'hominis' infection, according to a quote from Dr. Luiz Bermudez, Oregon State University's dean of the Biomedical Science Department (Gazette Times, January 17, 2007, "What you can't see") But they discounted the infection. I'm talking with veterans 18 years later who have the exact symptoms we hear from doctors in Egypt, also now families in Oregon.

You might be interested to know that doctors in the United States considered Giardia non-pathogenic for many years, and the first "proof" that it was causing disease came when veterans returned from World War II, were treated with anti-malarial drugs for malaria, then the Giardia disappeared with their chronic GI illness.

In a similar story, there is another drug called Eflornithine which is used for African Sleeping Sickness, and is the only drug that's been found to work against another enteric infection called microsporidia. A few months ago, I wrote Dr. Hugh Auchinchloss of the NIAID asking that their group work to determine if this drug would be effective against Blastocystis 'hominis', and work to make it available to US patients.

Thanks again for your account.

Best Wishes,

Ken Boorom

Director, Blastocystis 'hominis' Research Foundation