Original Publication
By Alive & Well SF
Refinement
By Questioning AIDS
https://web.archive.org/web/20111108072522/http://aliveandwellsf.org/faq#isolation
This document is based on the invaluable work of Dr. Heinrich Kremer.
Table of Contents
Is this one of those AIDS denialist websites?
The team Questioning AIDS are not in denial of AIDS; it is quite a real disease that has affected many of our lives. The problem is that the original science behind HIV was quite dubious and was based on an antiquated awareness of immunology. One might go as far to say that it is actually the HIV scientists that are in denial of the modern scientific reailty. It's time to go beyond our outdated theories that all disease can be blamed on germs. Lifestyle stressors and exposure to toxins play a huge role in the development of ill health. Germs, when they actually exist, are generally just following the course of nature, taking root in places that are suitable for their growth.
In light of recent findings of nitric oxide signalling and cytokine research, there is a much better and more plausible explanation for the AIDS disease process--one that is not in contradiction to real observations. HIV scientists simply have not been able to explain how this supposed phantom virus (which cannot be found directly in the fresh blood of AIDS patients) causes AIDS, nor cure the disease, after wasting an enormous amount of public resources. In fact, their “anti-HIV” drugs ultimately reinforce progression to AIDS, because they deplete glutathione and suffocate the mitochondria. Dr. Kremer's meticulous research based on well-proven cutting-edge science explains how and why AIDS occurs, and how to reverse the disease process. “HIV” particles are not the cause of AIDS but rather a side effect of compounded oxidative stressors and inadequate nutritional compensation. Even if HIV did really exist as a contagious exogenous virus, the treatment would be the same: rebalance the system with specific nutrition aimed to restore proper immune function, rather than attack it with poisonous chemicals that disrupt numerous bodily functions necessary for health.
Once understood this topic is relatively simple, but the ramifications are complex. We ask that you begin this journey with an open heart and a mind open to scientific logic. As a starting place, I recommend this FAQ and also
What is “HIV”?
In the early 1980s, scientists had not yet discovered the presence of NO gas as a key regulator of the immune system, nor did they know of the various types of T-cells and their respective cytokines. This lack of scientific understanding, combined with the conservative political atmosphere, and the fact that there had previously been a massively-funded decade-long hunt for cancer viruses (Nixon’s War on Cancer), all combined to create the contagious viral AIDS theory. In reality, AIDS is caused by numerous forms of oxidative and nitrosative stress, which explains why it is has remained in the original risk groups for over 20 years.
The so-called “HIV” particles have never been proven to be anything more than endogenous cellular waste excreted after repeated mitogenic stress. This is a natural result of Type-II counterregulation, a law of nature that has been programmed by millions of years of evolution. Even if these particles can supposedly cause other cells to create more particles in vitro (in test tubes, not necessarily in real living people), this could easily be an endogenous chemical cascade [Rous]. HIV scientists have mistaken the direction of cause and effect, and this mistake persists due to their unwillingness to update their shabby scientific foundations with current knowledge.
According to the compelling evidence that Dr. Kremer has assembled, AIDS is not caused by a single infectious agent, rather it is the end result of accumulation of the myriad forms of immune system stress. For more details, please read Kremer's answers to Thabo Mbeki. This also explains why we see AIDS in Africa, which is triggered by extremely stressful life conditions involving contaminated drinking water, endemic tropical infections and parasites, and the inadequate nutrition that comes with poverty.
Who claimed to have discovered “HIV”?
“HIV” was first claimed to be “isolated [sic]” by the two independent research teams of Robert Gallo (USA) and Luc Montagnier (France). They found “virus-like” particles emerging from cell culture stews (a hodgepodge of cells from cancer patients, multiple AIDS patients, rabbits, and human placentas) after they had been repeatedly stressed with chemicals. They claimed to have found a unique retrovirus, even though they did not show a true isolation by electron micrograph (EM) of a density gradient band. Retroviruses are supposed to band at 1.16 g/mL after centrifugation in sucrose solution. The banded pellet must be EM photographed to show purity, as was established at the Pasteur Institute in the 70s. Any other method is not acceptable, as it is quite possible to be deceived by laboratory contamination or endogenous processes.
Gallo and Montagnier found reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in the 1.16 band, but did not publish the requisite photo of purified virus, cloaking the fact that in reality what was present at the 1.16 band was a crapload of cellular garbage that “co-purified [sic]” with the virus-like particles (These photos were not published until over ten years later!). Both surrogate markers—virus-like particles as well as RT activity—are ubiquitous throughout biology. By themselves, they are not sufficient to prove the existence of an exogenous retrovirus—unless they are shown to occur together, in isolation at the 1.16 band.
Instead, Montagnier published photographs of the putative viral particles from unpurified umbilical cord lymphocytes, which are already known to show these sorts of particles without the presence of HIV. Gallo’s cancerous T-cells were already infected with HTLV-I, another retrovirus that he suppposedly discovered; this is already reason enough to show putative retrovirus activity.
Furthermore, Gallo concealed the fact that he used hydrocortisone to stimulate the “viral budding”, as well as many other details such as the fact that his cell cultures were misappropriated from Montagnier (resulting in a patent war with the French and a settlement that falsified scientific history)! It was later found in a NIH investigation that there actually was no RT, until the blood of 10 AIDS patients was pooled together, denounced by investigators as “really crazy” and “of dubious scientific rigor.” In 1992, after Senator John Dingell called for a review of the NIH investigation, the US Office of Research Integrity (ORI) finally declared Gallo guilty of scientific misconduct. Unfortunately, Gallo was later vindicated by appellate lawyers, who niggled over the legal definition of "misconduct". How telling that the entirety of HIV science is founded on this shoddy scientific work! Excerpted from the Dingell Report itself: "The consequences for HIV research were severely damaging, leading, in part, to a corpus of scientific papers polluted with systematic exaggerations and outright falsehoods of unprecedented proportions."
For more information on the Gallo investigations, see The Dingell Report and the writings of Chicago Tribune reporter John Crewdson, including his book Science Fictions. See also Serge Lang's "The Gallo Case"
For further details about the isolation issue, see HIV: Reality or Artefact?, Chat with Stefan Lanka, Interview with Montagnier and the many papers by The Perth Group, especially IFAS: Press-Communique from the 12th World AIDS Conference.
Endogenous vs. Exogenous
Endogenous means “coming from within the body,” while exogenous means “external to the body”. HIV has never been definitively proven to be of exogenous origin. In fact, 8% of the human genome is composed of human-endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). Given enough time and chemical stimulation, any retrovirologist can milk a ‘retrovirus’ out of a cell!
What is reverse transcription?
Reverse transcription is the chemical process of converting RNA messages into DNA code. It is facilitated by a family of enzymes called reverse transcriptases (RTs). RT was once thought to be particular to Retroviruses, but is now known to be ubiquitous amongst many forms of life [see Nature article]. RT is a necessary ingredient in the repair of DNA; when the DNA code becomes corrupted, RNA fragments are made as “band-aids”, which are reverse transcribed into a DNA “patch-kit.”
What is a Retrovirus?
Retroviruses are a family of viruses that were formerly called RNA Tumor Viruses. They are called ‘retro’ because they supposedly use Reverse Transcription to insert their RNA into the cellular DNA. Retroviruses were once falsely implicated in the cause of Cancer, and the Nixon administration spent billions of dollars on their research during the “War on Cancer” in the Seventies. This War was later declared to be a complete failure, leaving hundreds of highly-trained retrovirologists without a job.
What is the actual cause of AIDS?
In a nutshell, the pathology of AIDS is caused by severe glutathione deficiency due to acute or chronic oxidative and nitrosative stress. This causes a persistent shift towards Type-II cytokines, which shuts off the cell-mediated (NO) defense. This state is further exacerbated by the increase of cortisol and the decrease of DHEA. (immune hyperstimulation => NO gas overproduction => glutathione deficiency => cell damage => debris from cellular breakdown + hypercortisolism + elevated antibody production (hypergammaglobulinemia, the noncausal symptom of “HIV seropositivity”) => Type-II counterregulation and mitochondrial dysbiosis)
Thus the cure for AIDS will never be found in microbial eradication by toxins, but only with cellular detoxification (of heavy metals, etc) and orthomolecular (nutritional) equilibration. Ultimately, AIDS is an inflammatory autoimmune condition which must be balanced from within.
Are you telling people not to use condoms?
No! There are many real infectious diseases that can be transmitted from sex, including herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, warts, syphilis, etc. The antigenic stress from infections, as well as the antibiotics and other medications given to treat them, should be avoided by people who wish to keep their immune system healthy.
Furthermore, as a soup of foreign proteins and cells (as well as potential pathogens), semen is an antigenic stressor when brought into contact with the bloodstream. We leave the choice to use condoms as an individual decision made between two parties engaging in sexual intercourse. Also keep in mind that there are ethical and legal reasons to disclose your serostatus, regardless of your personal beliefs.
Aren’t you “blaming the victims?”
Some have claimed that by eliminating the viral scapegoat, HIV disbelievers are politically incorrect for blaming the AIDS patients for their disease.
This brings up the connotations of the word "acquired" in defining the syndrome. Things can be acquired both consciously and accidentally. There are many "risky" behaviors that deplete the immune system, such as prophylactic use of antibiotics, use of poppers, use of recreational drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, etc. There are also factors that are beyond the realm of individual choice, such as nutrition and sanitation in developing countries, as well as exposure to industrial toxins (e.g. heavy metals) in the modern lifestyle. Furthermore, there is the role of individual predisposition (genetic or otherwise), such as allergies, atopy, and other autoimmune disorders.
When the uniquely individual capacity for biological stress is exceeded, disease is the natural outcome. An individual must take responsibility for their own health, since they are the gardener that tends to the soil of their body, making it either fertile for health or disease.
So what is this Nitric Oxide stuff anyways?
Nitric oxide (NO) is a tiny, highly reactive molecule that is used as a signaling substance in many types of cells, in both the immune system and other cell systems such as nerves and blood vesssels. NO has unique electromagnetic properties, and because it is so tiny and gaseous, it can diffuse through cell membranes easily. NO can alter the structure of proteins directly by molecular binding, as well as epigenetically modify the way DNA is expressed by changing the redox milieu. NO can kill infected cells, protozoa, fungus and some bacteria because it binds to enzymatic metalloproteins and suffocates the oxygen respiration. This is why nitrates, which metabolize into NO, are used in the preservation of meats. Unfortunately, NO can do the same thing to mitochondria, which are ancient endosymbiotic bacteria. NO is also a metabolic byproduct from inhalation of poppers.
For nearly 100 years, scientists thought that NO was not made endogenously in the animal organism. It was not until 1987 (1998 Nobel Prize) that Furchgott and Ignarro serendipitously discovered that NO is an endogenous molecule used to relax blood vessels and regulate blood pressure. It was later discovered that NO is also involved in a myriad of biological processes, including neurotransmission and memory formation, penile erection, mitochondrial signaling, and the cell-mediated immune defense. Most importantly in the the context of the immune system, Th1 and other immune cells use NO gas as a weapon to attack intracellular invaders and destroy defective/damaged cells. Without the proper synthesis of NO gas, the immune system will be susceptible to opportunistic infections. The crucially important “gas mask” that protects animal cells from NO is glutathione. Too much NO gas leads to glutathione deficiency and subsequent triggering of Type-II counterregulation, as a way to protect the cell integrity by switching off the oxidative mitochondria which can no longer be antioxidatively compensated.
How do Poppers affect the immune system?
Poppers (aka amyl nitrate, as well as butyl, isobutyl, and isopentyl analogues) are metabolized into nitric oxide (NO), which is an endogenous molecule. NO is a key signalling molecule in the regulatory functions of the immune system, as well as other cellular systems such as nerves. This discovery was not made until the mid-nineties, are resulted in the award of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine. Excess NO from poppers is stored in the cells and later released into the bloodstream during physical exertion. Excess NO in the bloodstream causes, among other things, degenerative changes in the endothelial tissues leading to Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Rampant KS as seen in gay men, once thought to be caused by viruses such as HIV or HHV6, has been quite strongly correlated with the abuse of nitrite poppers (though it is still possible to suffer from KS without using poppers)
For more information on the link between AIDS and poppers, please visit the poppers section of our library.
What’s up with the T cells? Why do levels drop during AIDS progression, and come back when people go on meds?
The T-cells are not being killed by “HIV” but rather are predominantly maturing into Th2 cells, which do not live in the bloodstream. These Th2 antibody-helper cells migrate to the lymph, where the B-cells live, so they can do their job of stimulating antibodies. B cells, called ‘B’ since they form in the bone marrow, play an important role in the manufacture of antibodies in the humoral immune system (Type-II branch). During adminstration of nucleoside analog drugs (AZT, ddI, 3TC, d4T, etc.), the bone marrow is chemotoxically damaged. This interferes with the growth of B-cells, and as a result the Th2 cells cannot do their job because their B-cell buddies have become retarded. The Th2 cells swim back to into the bloodstream, where they are useless in the cell-mediated defense (because they don't produce NO gas).
In this manner, the T-cell count is increased, giving a false sense of immune recovery. The exact same raised T-cell counts also occur in antibody-negatives on AZT [], which shows that this process has nothing to do with HIV at all!
What about HAART? Aren't people surviving longer now?
The pseudo-benefit of nucleoside analogs, as well as protease inhibitors, (besides the illusory benefit of increased T-cells and “undetectable viral load”) is that they are wide-spectrum antimicrobials and kill off opportunistic organisms—at least until drug-resistance develops. In the meantime, the already weakened immune system is damaged even further by these severely glutathione-depleting and mitochondria-toxic cell poisons!
Protease inhibitors are known to be antifungal and act against candida and protozoal infections such as toxoplasmosis. They also inhibit normal cell proteases (such as caspases) which can lead to cell self-destruction. Nucleoside inhibitors block mitochondrial enzymes (which bacteria and fungus share as well as human cells) but also block several transcriptional factors which are needed for normal cell division. AZT and other azo- drugs such as Septra/Bactrim also directly inhibit mitochondrial respiration by binding with the enzyme cytochrome oxidase. This leads to a drop in ATP production and subsequent cell death, and/or cancer.
Nucleoside analog drugs also cause toxic damage to the bone marrow, which in turn disrupts the formation of antibodies. This is why AZT is claimed to prevent the supposed “mother-to-child transmission”. By their disruptive effect on antibody formation, these drugs also ameliorate some of the auto-antibodies that can cause problems, but at the terrible cost of blood cell disorders (anemia, lymphopenia, etc.) and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections (sepsis) and cancer, as well as other mitochondrial disorders including lipodystrophy and organ failure. The greater the dosage, the stronger the effects.
What occured in the early AIDS outbreak (which was triggered primarily by poppers and antibiotic abuse) was high dosage treatment with Bactrim/Septra (in case of PCP) and/or chemotherapy with methotrexate (in case of KS). Both have the same lethal effects over time. When AZT came on the scene in the late 80s, people were given disgustingly high doses of 1.5 grams per day. The only reason why the AZT recipients survived a bit longer was that they got blood transfusions to treat their bone marrow depression (anemia, etc). Those that were treated with Bactrim died quite fast (today Bactrim is used to purposefully destroy bone marrow in leukemia patients, to make room for marrow transplants). The terrible deaths that remain in our collective memory were primarily from pharmaceutically-induced AIDS (Acquired Iatrogenic Death Syndrome). There was only one single study on AZT in the late 80s (the European “Concorde trial”) that was not paid for by the pharmaceutical industry; with 800mg per day they found no life extending miracle, rather they saw the same old picture: bone marrow depression, heart failure (mitochondrial failure), opportunistic infections, and cancer.
Later in the mid-90s when the AZT dosage was reduced to 400-500mg per day, as in the combination “cocktails”, people began to die less often: not only from the added antifungal effect of protease inhibitors, but simply because they were consuming less of the highly poisonous AZT! As always, the hypothetical HIV (and it's supposed eradication by drugs) was neither necessary nor sufficient.
But what about the “viral load”? Doesn’t that prove the role of actual virus? Isn't it good to go “undetectable”? And what about that pesky “drug-resistant HIV”?
The so-called "viral load" assay does not measure "HIV particles" but instead measures tiny RNA fragments that are said to be particular to "HIV". It uses advanced PCR biotechnology to amplify the proverbial a needle in a haystack. Even according to Dr. David Ho (the original advocate of the technique), the inflated numbers of the viral load do not correspond to "infectious virus particles", and nearly 99% of reported number is counting "noninfectious particles". How "noninfectious particles" can cause a viral disease is left to the imagination HIV/AIDS researchers. (Kary Mullis, the inventor of PCR, misses no opportunity to decry the abuse of this technology in so-called “HIV science.”)
Prior to the approval of protease inhibitors, people were going “undetectable” on cocktails of nucleoside inhibitors. This still didn’t stop people from dying. Was it from “HIV” or from glutathione-exhausting chemopoisoning? For a good overview, see here.
According to Dr. Kremer, since RNA fragments are used in the normal process of DNA repair, the "viral load" is really an indicator of the human DNA repair process. The event of going "undetectable" is actually due to chemotoxic genetic damage from HAART, occuring faster than the body can repair it! This creates a deficit of available free-floating RNA. Later, when the body becomes so disrupted that the DNA repair process itself is damaged, the plasma RNA increases again—falsely attributed to resistant viral mutations. Another mystery is how such an organism can mutate so much (estimated by some up to 30-40%) and still be the same virus; humans, chimpanzees and dolphins all share well over 95% of the same genetic coding!
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione (GSH) is a small protein (peptide) that is naturally manufactured in the body from its three amino acid components: glycine, glutamate, and cysteine. Because it contains three amino acids it is called a tripeptide. GSH is the body's master antioxidant, and is necessary for several major functions:
protecting cells from oxidation and aging (and maintenence of mitochondrial symbiosis),
eliminating toxins from the liver,
controlling the switch between Th1 and Th2 T-cells.
regulating levels of copper and zinc, via metallothionein
Without an adequate supply of sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine), the body cannot make enough GSH for normal functioning. If the body cannot eliminate toxins, nor protect its cells from free-radical damage by these toxins, a person’s immune system is in serious trouble and on their way to chronic disease! Under times of increased oxidative stress (physical, chemical, emotional, etc.), and especially in individuals with a strong redox disposition, the body's reserves of cysteine/GSH can become rapidly depleted.
Glutathione is also used, along with selenium, to make the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. This enzyme is needed during normal cellular functioning to protect the mitochondria from the peroxide radicals that are a byproduct of ATP (cellular energy) synthesis. In this way, low GSH is damaging to the mitochondria on a fundamental level!
Here are just a few of the many substances that are detoxified by GSH conjugation:
acetaldehyde (metabolite of alcoholic beverages),
acetone (nail polish remover),
acetaminophen (tylenol),
aflatoxin (moldy nuts and grains),
aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene,
gasoline, tattoo dyes, preservatives in sexual lubricants and cosmetics),
benzopyrenes (cigarettes, BBQ, car exhaust),
heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc),
organophosphates (pesticides),
nitrogen compounds (poppers, AZT, Septrin, preserved meats),
naphthalene (moth balls)
The list of toxic chemicals that we are exposed to on a regular basis in our industrialized society goes on and on! This is why an adequate dietary intake of cysteine is crucial, especially in people under stress (who isn’t these days?) and without exception in those with chronic disease. However cysteine needs to be part of a larger molecule so the delicate antioxidant sulfhydryl group is not destroyed during digestion; it can be potentially toxic if taken by itself as a pure amino acid. Cysteine-rich proteins are present in cottage cheese and eggs, and from the molecule NAC.
Groundbreaking research by the Herzenberg group at Stanford University has shown that glutathione deficiency plays a crucial role in the progression of AIDS. The Herzenbergs also showed that NAC supplementation dramatically increases the survival rate of AIDS patients (~200%, despite the counterproductive administration of glutathione-exhausting chemotherapy). The patients who were on HAART therapy had the lowest levels of glutathione, and therefore benefitted the most from NAC supplementation. They were also part of the Peterson team that showed that glutathione levels in the antigen presenting cells controls the master switch between Th1/Th2 immunity.
A review article about glutathione can be found here.
What is NAC?
N-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC for short, is a special form of the amino acid cysteine and a potent immune-booster. The acetyl group protects the cysteine in its journey from your mouth to your cells. NAC has been called a glutathione “pro-drug”, since it acts as a precursor for the biosynthesis (bodily manufacture) of that crucially important molecule. NAC was originally used in the 60s to break up lung mucous in patients with respiratory ailments. It is also used in the emergency room as an antidote to acetaminophen poisoning.
Here is a brief article/press-release outlining the use of NAC to replenish GSH. NAC: Stanford San Francisco Study Report Shows Blood Glutathione Improvement, Possible Survival Benefit
“NAC should no longer be relegated only to "alternative" treatments, but deserves serious research as a possible addition to mainstream HIV therapy. ”
Here is one of many references regarding NAC and glutathione levels: Breitkreutz R, Pittack N, et al. “Improvement of immune functions in HIV infection by sulfur supplementation: Two randomized trials,” Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2000; volume 78, number 1, pp 55-62.
"Our findings suggest that the impairment of immunological functions in HIV+ patients results at least partly from cysteine deficiency. Because immune reconstitution is a widely accepted aim of HIV treatment, N-acetylcysteine [NAC] treatment may be recommended for patients with and without antiretroviral therapy. Our previous report on the massive loss of sulfur in HIV-infected subjects and the present demonstration of the immunoreconstituting effect of cysteine supplementation indicate that the HIV-induced cysteine depletion is a novel mechanism by which a virus destroys the immune defense of the host and escapes immune elimination."
What are Cytokines?
Cytokines are chemical messengers that immune cells use to communicate with each other. For instance, T-cells have specialized receptors for particular cytokines, and can also produce and secrete their own cytokines. In this way, certain states of the immune system can be reinforced or counteracted, depending on the particular interactions between cells and cytokines. Cytokines can be loosely grouped into the categories of Type-I and Type-II.
What is the difference between Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes and why is it important?
It was discovered in the late Eighties [Mosmann & Coffman 1989] that there are two main types of T-helper cells:
Type-I T-helper cells, or Th1 cells, manufacture NO gas, which is used to destroy cells infected by intracellular invaders (fungus, [legitimate] virus, mycobacteria, etc). Th1 cells produce inflammatory cytokines that stimulate the cell-mediated immunity. Macrophages and natural killer cells also produce cytotoxic NO gas. If these immune cells are not protected by sufficient intracellular glutathione (“gas mask”), they can accidentally become “kamikaze” fighters and die from their own attack (gaseous NO spray).
Type-II T-cells, or Th2 cells, do not manufacture NO gas. Instead they are antibody-helper cells. They migrate to the lymph and stimulate the B-cells to make antibodies, as part of the humoral immunity. An excess of Th2 cells in the bloodstream due to AZT toxicity can give a misleading representation of the actual strength of the cell-mediated (Th1)immune defense.
Th1 and Th2 cells each manufacture Type-I and Type-II cytokines, respectively. The cytokines of one type tend to inhibit the formation of the other cell type, so that usually only one type of T-helper cell will dominate (aka reciprocal inhibition).
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The key factor in the switching of Th1/Th2 polarization is the presence of glutathione in the antigen presenting cells (APCs) [Peterson, Herzenberg et al 1998]. Extreme and/or chronic inflammatory stress will deplete the APCs of glutathione, due to excessive NO production. In this way, the Type-II branch evolved to be the “fire alarm” of the immune system. It is hypothesized that the Type-I response evolved first, as can be found in primitive animals such as sponges. The Type-II response later evolved in bony fish, necessitated by the ineffectivity of the inflammatory defense against large multi-cellular invaders such as parasitic worms.
Here is a detailed review article: Th1/Th2 balance: the hypothesis, its limitations, and implications for health and disease.
What does Type-II counterregulation mean?
An overproduction of NO gas, from chronic or acute immune stimulation, can cause glutathione to become severely depleted. This is especially the case in those who are nutritionally lacking in certain amino acids, and also in those who have a strong redox disposition. This strong depletion of glutathione switches the immunity to the Type-II cytokine pattern, in which immune cells do not produce NO gas but instead make antibodies. This switch is a protective “fire alarm” mechanism that evolved to protect the cells from too much inflammatory damage. Infection with parasites such as worms will also switch on the Type-II cytokines. If the glutathione is not replenished and/or the immune stimulation continues, the system will not be able to switch back to Type-I immunity, and a risk appears for opportunistic infections as well as cancer formation.
What are the Mitochondria?
https://studyclub.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/QA/pages/17565469
Mitochondria are the cellular organelles that are responsible for manufacturing ATP. They can be likened to a power plant that burns sugar using oxygen (oxidative phosphorylation). The mitochondria posess their own DNA, and for this reason are believed to a relative of ancient bacteria that evolutionarily merged with the cellular unit during endosymbiosis.
Under certain conditions where the cell cannot intake oxygen properly, the mitochondria can dissolve their symbiosis with the human host, and no longer function in harmony with the cell. This is called mitochondrial dysbiosis, and is a serious indicator for risk of cancer, as the cells revert to ancient survival mechanisms in which they use fermentation to make ATP, rather than oxidative phosphorylation.
Problems Associated with Mitochondrial Cytopathies
(from http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/spring02/mitochondrial.htm )
Organ System | Possible Problems |
|---|---|
Brain | Developmental delays, mental retardation, dementia, seizures, neuro-psychiatric disturbances, atypical cerebral palsy, migraines, strokes |
Nerves | Weakness (which may be intermittent), neuropathic pain, absent reflexes, gastrointestinal problem (gastroesophogeal reflux, delayed gastric emptying, constipation, pseudo-obstruction), fainting, absent or excessive sweating resulting in temperature regulation problems |
Muscles | Weakness, hypotonia, cramping, muscle pain |
Kidneys | Proximal renal tubular wasting resulting in loss of protein, magnesium, phosphorous, calcium and other electrolytes |
Heart | Cardiac conduction defects (heart blocks), cardiomyopathy |
Liver | Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), liver failure |
Eyes | Visual loss and blindness |
Ears | Hearing loss and deafness |
Pancreas | Diabetes and exocrine pancreatic failure (inability to make digestive enzymes) |
Systemic | Failure to gain weight, short stature, fatigue, respiratory problems including intermittent air hunger |
What is Endosymbiosis?
Endosymbiosis, meaning “inside symbiosis”, is the theory that the cellular unit is actually a product of the ancient merging of multiple separate organisms. It is thought that early Eukaryotes (organisms with a cell nucleus) were formed from the encapsulation of Proteobacteria by Archaebacteria. These early cells did not use oxygen, instead making ATP by lactic acid fermentation of sugars in the cytoplasm. Later on, the proto-mitochondria were encapsulated, which gave the cell the advantage of being able to use oxygen to produce some 20 times more ATP. In a similar way, there is also strong evidence that plants developed their plastids (photosynthesis organelle containing chlorophyll) from encapsulation of blue-green algae. Follow this offsite link for a more detailed explanation.
What do hormones have to do with the immune system?
DHEA and cortisol are adrenal hormones. Cortisol is produced under stress in order to relieve inflammation. Cortisol correlates with Type-II cytokines, while DHEA correlates with Type-I cytokines. Too much cortisol is called hypercortisolism, and goes hand-in-hand with the “HIV+” state. This is well documented, as well is the fact that pharmaceutical steroid hormones (prednisone, body-builder “juice”, etc.) can also cause similar immune suppression. DHEA supplementation is helpful to raise energy levels and cytotoxic immunity; it has even been proven to reduce “viral load”. DHEA has been called the "youth hormone" as it tends to decline with age. Baseline levels should be measured by your doctor before beginning a hormone supplementation program.
What does AIDS have to do with Cancer?
Nobel laureate Otto Warburg demonstrated, amongst other things, that cancer cells revert to the use of anaerobic (without oxygen) fermentation. Cancer can be created in the lab by removing the supply of oxygen to cells. With a lack of oxygen, the mitochondria cannot function. The genetic program for fermentation remains as an archaic remnant of the protistan subgenome remaining from the time of endosymbiosis. The Type-II cytokine counterregulation (as occurs with AIDS), and subsequent mitochondrial dysbiosis, creates a risk for cancer formation. This is why certain cancers, such as lymphoma and cervical cancer, are found so often in PWAs that they became part of the AIDS diagnosis.
What is the relationship between Parasites and AIDS?
Some researchers, including as the brilliant but wacky Hulda Clark, have claimed that there is a strong causal link between parasites and chronic diseases such as AIDS and cancer. This link can be substantiated due to the fact that parasitic infection is well documented to cause a shift towards Type-II cytokines, leading to increased susceptibility to intracellular infections (viruses, fungi, etc.).
Follow these links for some scientific references:
Both gay men and people in tropical countries have high levels of exposure to parasitic diseases. Both of them are linked to contact with fecal matter (i.e. in dirty water, or during sexual activity).
As a side note, this author recommends that sexually-active gay men herbally deparasitize every month or so, even if asymptomatic. (A gentle and inexpensive brand is Kroeger's Wormwood blend.) Parasites can be transmitted through kissing, anal play, rimming, and even causal contact with microscopic eggs. After anal play it is a good idea to clean under the fingernails with an instant hand sanitizer (containing ethyl alcohol). You can make your own with a mixture of 1 part vodka to 3 parts water.
Selected references:
Peyton Rous (godfather of retrovirology), J Exp Med, 1911, 13, 397."The first tendency will be to regard the self-perpetuating agent active in this sarcoma of the fowl as a minute parasitic organism. Analogy with several infectious diseases of man and the lower animals, caused by ultramicroscopic organisms, gives support to this view of the findings, and at present work is being directed to its experimental verification. But an agency of another sort is not out of the question. It is conceivable that a chemical stimulant, elaborated by the neoplastic cells, might cause the tumour in another host and bring about in consequence a further production of the same stimulant".
Glutathione levels in antigen-presenting cells modulate Th1 versus Th2 response patterns.” Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 1998; 95:3071-3076.
Breitkreutz R, Pittack N, et al. “Improvement of immune functions in HIV infection by sulfur supplementation: Two randomized trials,” Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2000; volume 78, number 1, pp 55-62.
Rosenberg, Y.J., A.O. Anderson and R. Pabst, 1998. “HIV-induced decline in blood CD4/CD8 ratios: viral killing or altered lymphocyte trafficking?” Immunol Today 1998, 19: 10-17.