http://www.facebook.com/notes/ccsvi-in-multiple-sclerosis/ms-is-a-cerebrovascular-disease/472610627210

Since the beginning of my journey with Jeff's MS diagnosis in 2007, I've been told by neurologists that MS is an auto-immune disease and
this can be measured by Myelin Basic Protein autoreactive t-cells found

in cerebral spinal fluid, and that this is exclusive to MS. And this is

part of the target for immuno-modulating therapies. But what is these

MBP auto-reactive T-cells are NOT really exclusive to MS? Guess what?

They're not.

Here is a study where the CSF of patients with cerebrovascular disease is tested. And those with MS and CVD have the same range of MBP reactive T-cells in the CSF. This leads the researchers to posit that this immune reaction is secondary
to damage in the CNS. Which makes me wonder....is the CSF of stroke

patients and those with hypoxia or ischemic events regularly tested? And

if so, are these people told they have an immune system disease? Why

has the research of MS as a cerebrovascular disease been so fraught with

controversy?

Myelin antigen reactive T cells in cerebrovascular diseases

W.Z.WANG,T.OLSSON,V.KOSTULAS,B.HOJEBERG,H.P.EKRE&H.LINK

Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

Quote:

INTRODUCTION In acute ischaemic cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), mononuclear cells
appear in the brain parenchyma within 1-2 days and increase in number

over the ensuing 5-30 days[1].Also in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF),

elevated numbers of mononuclear cells may be detected. These cells are

considered to mainly represent monocytes-macrophages, but there are no

detailed studies on their lineage with,e.g.,antibodies to different cell

surface markers. Oligoclonal IgG bands are present in the CSF while

missing in corresponding serum, in about 10% of patients with CVD

[2,3].A local B cell response directed to neurotropic viruses,as in

patients with multiple sclerosis, has been reported in those patients

with CVD who displayed oligoclonal IgG bands in CSF [4].Taken

together,these observations indicate that patients with acute CVD may

display an intrathecal immune response......

The strong increases in numbers of MBP, MBP peptide and PLP reactive T cells in blood, and of MBP reactive T cells in CSF, which we here report in our
patients with Cerebro Vascular Disease, are in the same range as we have

previously observed in MS [10,11].Thus, both diseases are accompanied

by an expanded pool of myelin autoreactive T cells and they may well be

secondary to damage to the central nervous system.

Here is the full paper in PDF form.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1554378/pdf/clinexpimmunol00048-0161.pdf

It's really dense and sciency....but it is worth the read.

If these autoreactive t-cells are found in people that have strokes or
cerebrovascular disease, and are NOT exclusive to MS, how on God's

green earth can we say that MS is auto-immune?

It's not. I believe MS is a disease of the vascular system which creates a
secondary reaction by the immune system. I believe Dr. Zamboni

discovered the engine in MS---and it is CCSVI.