Just a thought and opinions welcome

[TheSleeper]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070726185522.htm

Epstein Barr virus (mono) is known to cause problems with the spleen.

[terric]

Interesting. I'd be curious to know how many people who have had their spleens removed wind upwith an autoimmune disease. Thought provoking article

terric

[TheSleeper]

Good point terric, I had acute Mono at 51, 3 years later dx`ed with PPMS. I don`t know how many people especially young ones have their spleen removed.

I do know that contact sports are sometimes advised against for young people that have mono to prevent rupture of the spleen.

[Richard Long]

I have not had my spleen removed -- just my tonsils when I was six years old, & my appendix in about 1975 or so--

this is a difficult task, to find something that EVERYBODY diagnosed with multiple sclerosis has in common other than they are human beings (usually...)

[terric]

Also, macrophages are not only produced in the spleen, but many other places in the body...I think. This is too deep for me to understand.

terric

[escape goat]

Don't know about epstein-barr, but I had an acute attack of ideopathic thrombocytopenia when I was a teenager. The worst case scenario that they told me about was that they might remove my spleen. Luckily I got better before that was necessary.

I've often wondered about that incident I had... one weird auto-immune dissorder followed by another weird auto-immune disorder. Meh!

[Lyn]

This is interesting. I had glandular fever (mono) when I was about 12 years old (1981).

I was diagnosed with Ideopathic Thrombocytopenia during my first pregnancy (1993). A splenectomy was discussed when it was clearly a chronic case - but we decided not to go that way.

I was diagnosed with RRMS in 2001 - and the ITP still remains now. I agree with the strangeness of auto-immune co-morbidity. My elder sister had problems with an enlarged/painful spleen as a teen....and later went on to develop Lupus.

Hmmmmm......



Lyn

[Mariel]

My spleen is fine, even though I have Essential Thrombocythemia. I developed it about 5 or 6 years ago (high platelets) and was dx'd a couple years ago. So far I don't need treatment except a baby aspirin a day, but I also take small doses of the blood thinners Vitamin E and garlic (garlic in KWAI form). At this point I have the following dx's: MS, Porphyria, Essential Thrombocythemia, and another Myeloproliferative disease, Monoclonal Gammopathy. The last one is asymptomatic and may never become symptomatic. I don't know what this has to do with auto-immune diseases. I am not aware that I HAVE an auto-immune disease. I believe my MS is chemically caused.

I had markers for Epstein Barr when it was tested on a viral panel 20 years ago, and the doctor told me that 86% of all Americans have this. Not to say that it doesn't cause big problems when it's active. I remember when I probably had it in college--really sick with a big boil on my neck--not a happy camper.

[max headroom]

no eb here. still have my spleen. my mother died from als, her only sibling was a sister who had ms.

in 98 i tessted pos for hhv6. (it was all the rage then) iv gancyclovir for 4 months and no help.

we keep trying to figure it out