Mcp-1, or monocyte chemotactic protein-1, is a member of a small gene recruited to areas of inflammation and often found to perpetuate inflammation in the joints.
by Dr. Kenneth F. Muhich —
So much has been printed recently about inflammation and how it affects all of us, from our skin to our hearts. Yet when doctors order the normal tests, including blood and urine, many tests come back normal. How can this be? The most recent research sheds light on this paradoxical problem of how an apparent inflammatory condition is not validated through normal testing.
The online version of the Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine, June 5, 2008, reports on high plasma levels of Mcp-1 and exotaxins that are not normally tested or found in the usual blood or urine testing.
Mcp-1, or monocyte chemotactic protein-1, is a member of a small gene recruited to areas of inflammation and often found to perpetuate inflammation in the joints.
Exotaxin is an eosinophil selective chemokine found in organs and the intestines. The study found exotaxin is a fundamental regulator of eosinophiles.
This is an ongoing research study. Presently, exotaxins and Mcp-1 are not evaluated by the normal clinical laboratory. More information and facts will become available as results from these genetic studies are published.
As Winston Churchill once said, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end.” Similarly, in terms of research on exotaxins and Mcp-1, it is the beginning of the beginning.
Dr. Kenneth F. Muhich is a chiropractic physician at Stetson Chiropractic Clinic in Scottdale, Ariz., and is a member of the Blended Healthcare Consortium. www.stetsonchiropractic.com, [email protected] or 480-948-4955.
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 4, Aug/Sept 2009.
February 28, 2012
Health, Inflammation