Iquilai - a homeopathic remedy has helped to increase CD4 counts in some cases. Others have reported a reduction in joint inflammation.
Mark Konlee
Our initial hope for Iquilai is that it would provide safe and effective immune balancing effects like low dose hydrocortisone or even prednisone without any adverse effects and without the need for a prescription and at a low cost. I have no doubt as to its safety and low cost. However, as for how effective it will be as an immune modulator, balancer and for its anti-inflammatory effects, the jury is still out.
In my opinion, after reviewing the initial responses, a dose higher than just one pellet per month is clearly warranted. Several persons are now using one pellet per week and only one person has reported results with this higher dose, case No 2.
In response to a previous article in 2009 in this Journal about the use of Iquilai used to treat HIV in Africa, several persons in the USA tried using Iquilai for various conditions from HIV to arthritis to chronic fatigue syndrome. The initial number being about 20 (14 with HIV, 2 with arthritis, 3 with chronic fatigue syndrome and 1 other case).
The original dosing was to take one pellet once a day for 5 days and then one pellet per month. At about $1.00 a pellet, it was the lowest treatment protocol for HIV on the planet, but would something used so seldom even work or have any effect at all? If it did balance the immune system as its original inventors Drs Jan Scholten and Van Gelder intended, would it also benefit persons with autoimmune conditions like lupus, various allergies, asthma and other conditions where hydrocortisone has helped? Might it substitute for low dose prednisone in some cases? Testing its effects on normalizing interleukin 6 would be helpful information and well as other biomarkers for Th1 and Th2.
Iquilai - a few reports
I wish there was more to report but many persons were difficult to reach and more than half have no had follow-up tests. One person's phone number was disconnected and two persons have not even started using Iquilai yet. The persons we did contact told us the following:
Case #1. Male, vegetarian HIV + 20 years, only used prescription drugs for a few months off and on during this period. Started Iqulai taking it for 5 days straight in July, 2009 and then once a month. Baseline CD4's in July 2009 was 199. In December, 2009 CD4's were 201. Have since increased Iquilai to one pellet per week. Awaiting new lab results.
Case #2. Female, HIV 15 + years - bipolar takes medication for her condition and has used prescribed HIV drugs off and on for the past several years. Having elevated liver enzymes, her doctor took her off all HIV meds in Jan 2009. In August she was still off the HIV meds when she started using Iquilai - the initial one a day for 5 days then one per month. Baseline CD4's was 505. By October, the CD4's had dropped to 288.
We contacted Didi Ruchira in Kenya about the decline in the CD4's and she contacted Dr Van Gelder MD one of the inventors of Iqulai. Gelder recommended increasing the dose of Iqualai to one per week. We relayed this to Case #2. She started using one Iquilai per week on Oct 19, 2009 and resumed her HIV meds that the doctor re-prescribed.
Three months later on January 19th, 2010, the results of a second test done a week earlier came in. CD4's had increased to 783. The increase surprised both the doctor and the patient. Case #2 reports she had also used plant based selenium (Phytosel) and Curcumin 95 (Jarrow Formulas) during this period. Patient in Case #2 believes that Iquilai used weekly had an effect in increasing the CD4 counts that was used in combination with the HIV meds. She said that the increase of 495 in the CD4 counts was higher then her or her doctor thought was possible with the HIV meds alone. Both think the Iquilai played a role in the latest lab results. (Her doctor knows about all the dietary supplements she takes and has no issues with them.)
Case #3. Make 53 Y.O HIV + 25 years taking HIV meds. Also uses Naltrexone 3 mg once day before bedtime. - says the Naltrexone prevents lipodystrophy. Started Iquilai in Sept, 2009 Baseline CD4's 540 Dosing - one a day for 5 days then once a month. Three months later in December, 2009, he reports his CD4's are up to 768. He says this is the highest his CD4's have been in the past 5 years and credits the Iqulai used in combination with his HIV meds for increasing his counts. He plans to continue using it once a month.
Case #4. No response to 3 phone calls.
Case #5. Used Iquilai once a day for 5 days then once a month. Was on HIV meds a the same time. Said she did not notice much of a difference but could not remember the results of the last CD4 count or the previous one.
Case #6. Male on HIV meds taking Iquilai once a month. No lab results to reports but says he has less neuropathy in his feet.
Case #7. Male on HIV meds taking Iqulai once a month - switched to once a week in November, 2009. No test results since the switch but reported a small increase in RBC and WBC counts just prior to November. No CD4 test was taken since starting Iquilai.
Case #8. Male on HIV meds also taking Iquilai once a month - no lab results to report.
Case #9. Female HIV+ - has not used HIV meds for 2 and one-half years. Tried Iquilai one a day for 5 days then once a month. Results: Baseline 9/14/09 was CD4's 140. In Dec 9th, 2009 CD4's declined to 85. Protocol changes: Started Naltrexone ( 3 mg once a day in the evening) in January, 2010. Based on Van Gelder's advice, she increased Iquilai to one pellet per week. Suggested she start a regimen of anti-viral meds if the CD4's do not increase real soon.
Case #10 - patient unreachable.
Case #11. Female HIV + 15 years has HCV also. Has never used HIV med in the past 15 years. Tried Iquilai once a day for 10 days in October, 2009. Reported breaking out with a cold during the 10 days - this is considered a shift from Th2 to Th1 immunity. Used one pellet per month but changed in January 2010 to one per week. Baseline CD4's 59. No new labs taken- results awaited. Reports no opportunistic infections, good appetite and sleeps well. (We advised her to go on HIV meds as her CD4 counts are below 200.)
Case #12 - unreachable.
Case #13. Male on HIV meds. Used Iquilai for 5 days in a row and then once per month for 2 months. Baseline - 700 CD4 and this was unchanged in a second test 2 months later. Will increase to one pellet per week prior to the next blood test to see if the CD4's can be bumped up.
Case #14. HIV+ male on meds hasn't started yet. Waiting to see what results others are getting first.
Case #15. Male on HIV meds taking Iquilai once a month. No lab results taken.
Other reports on Iquilai
Case #16 - tried it for a chronic H pylori infection (5 days on then once a month) but reported no change.
Case #17 - not home.
Case #18 - not home.
Case #19 - Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue syndrome n 1989, this person has reported significant improvements using Iquilai 3 or 4 times a month. The benefits include elimination of joint inflammation and brain fog. He reported that after a recent detox for mercury, the effects of Iquilai were more noticeable. He detoxed for mercury using DMSA and used timed release alpha lipoic acid.
Arthritis: Case #20 and 21 - two residents in Wisconsin with arthritis both claim Iquilai taken once a week helped get rid of their arthritis - indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. Both also used Curcumin but claim the arthritis did not completely go away until they added the Iquilai - one per week to their regimen. One person broke out with a cold after using Iquilai - indicating a shift from Th2 to Th1 immunity.
Note: Iquilai may be available from your local health care professional or provider of dietary supplements or by contacting the manufacturer -
Remedia Homeopathy
Robert Muntz KG
Hauptstrabe 4
A-7000 Eisenstadt
Austria
Write a note and ask for Iquilai in a 10 gram bottle and include an MC/Visa card. A 10 gram bottle contains about 40 pellets and cost around $50 US dollars with shipping. That is about a 10 month supply.
The history of other immune based therapies
The history of other immune based therapies
Many of the following treatments used for HIV may also be useful in the treatment of cancer. The immunological failures in HIV/AIDS and cancer are identical. Both involve a shift to Th2 immunity with a failure of Th1 and of DTH and Natural Killer cell function.
1. Interleukin II
Studies were funded for years by the NIH. Results show that IL-2 increases CD4 helper cell counts. IL-6 never made it into the main stream of HIV treatments most likely because the patents were expired. More money could be made with the patented anti-viral drugs.
2. IL-6 inhibitors
- Hydrocortisone (20 to 30 mg daily) or 5 mg prednisone or prednisolone daily or 10 to 15 mg every other day. (increases CD4 counts) - also treats various cancers.
- Cayenne
- Tumeric (curcumin)
- Aspirin (increase CD4 counts)
- Iquilai -homeopathic - one a day until you break out with a cold then use one per week.
3. Prostaglandin II inhibitors
- Evening Primrose oil
- Flaxseed oil - up to 3 tablespoons daily mixed with nonfat yogurt of cottage cheese.
4. Delayed type II hypersensitivity
- Omega 3 (flaxseed oil, Salmon, especially sockeye), grass fed beef, bison (bufalo)
- DNCB topical skin sensitizer
5. Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CD8 Killer T cells)
Maitake and shiitake mushrooms.
6. Immune Modulators
- Naltrexone - 3 mg once a day before bedtime (1 mg per 50 lbs of body weight)- also treats various forms of cancer.
- Beta-glucan - yeast derived or from raw mushrooms - shiitake, maitake etc, also found in raw oats.
7. Castor Oil packs over the liver area and over the thymus gland (upper chest area)/ Also used as a rub on the lymph nodes.
8. Friendly intestinal flora - L-Plantarum - some strains eat mannan, a sugar on the outer membrane of the HIV virus.
9. Glutathione support -
- Selenium - Brazil Nuts - 4 to 8 per day or plant based selenium 600 to 800 mcg daily. Improves neutrophil activity - immunity against candida albicans.
- Cold processed whey protein - 10 to 20 grams daily. (ImmunoCal ImmunoPro RenewPro)
- Alpha lipoic acid
- NAC
- Ripe avocados- source of glutathione
10. Diet and Detox -
- Whole lemon drink with or without olive oil
- Raw garlic - kills most viruses and bacteria
- Thyme (Fenugreek-thyme)- kills candida albicana, fungus, viruses and bacteria.
- Apple cider vinegar - 1 to 3 tbsp daily.
- Sauerkraut - once serving daily
- Apples and cherries - unsweetened - 4 or more servings daily - _ cup each or sauce or juice.
- Raw or steamed vegetables/ vegetable soups.
- Large salad with yogurt/flax oil dip as described in the Immune Restoration Handbook.
11. Avoid corn fed meats that are high in Omega 6. This includes all store bought lunchmeats, pork, beef and chicken. AVOID SUGAR AND CORN SYRUP - IMPAIRS WHITE BLOOD CELL ACTIVITY. Also avoid Sucralose (has chlorine in it), Nutrasweet (is aspartamine - a neurotoxin - that may cause nerve and brain inflammation). Avoid other toxins - tobacco and alcohol and BPA found in plastic bottles (soda pop). Buy canned foods and juices in glass bottles if possible. Do not microwave or bake any food in any plastic container.
12. Best fish is Red Sockeye Salmon - high in omega 3 and the antioxidant astaxanthin that enhances natural kill cell activity. However, consider marinated herring, river trout or sardines.
13. Best meats are Bison (Buffalo) and or grass fed beef. Grass fed turkey or chicken may be hard to find. Store bought turkey (white meat) if chosen is a better choice than chicken.
See the Diet plan in the Immune Restoration Handbook for more directions. Also visit our website keephopealive.org and enter key search words listed in this article to retrieve articles published online since 1995.
Bananas for HIV
A lectin isolated from Bananas (trade name BanLec) is reported to inhibit HIV by Swanson MD, Winter HC, Goldstein IJ, Markovitz DM. J Biol Chem. 2010 Mar 19;285(12):8646-55.From the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases.
BanLec is a jacalin-related lectin isolated from the fruit of bananas, Musa acuminata. This lectin binds to high mannose carbohydrate structures, including those found on viruses containing glycosylated envelope proteins such as human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1).
Therefore, we hypothesized that BanLec might inhibit HIV-1 through binding of the glycosylated HIV-1 envelope protein, gp120. We determined that BanLec inhibits primary and laboratory-adapted HIV-1 isolates of different tropisms and subtypes. BanLec possesses potent anti-HIV activity, with IC(50) values in the low nanomolar to picomolar range. The mechanism for BanLec-mediated antiviral activity was investigated by determining if this lectin can directly bind the HIV-1 envelope protein and block entry of the virus into the cell.
The authors reported the banana lectin is a potential component for an anti-viral microbicide that could be used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1. The next question is what would eating a couple of bananas a day do to a persons HIV viral load?
More research on the potential use of bananas for HIV, cancer and leukemia
Del Monte banana (Musa acuminata) lectin reported to have cytokine-inducing activity. by Cheung AH, Wong JH, Ng TB. Phytomedicine. 2009 Jun;16(6-7):594-600. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
"A homodimeric, fructose-binding lectin was isolated from Del Monte bananas by using a protocol that involved ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and SP-Sepharose, and gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. Not only fructose, but also glucose, mannose, rhamnose and glucosamine could inhibit the lectin."
"The lectin was capable of eliciting a mitogenic response in murine splenocytes and inducing the expression of the cytokines interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-2 in splenocytes."
"The lectin also inhibited proliferation of leukemia (L1210) cells and hepatoma (HepG2) cells and the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The additional information obtained in the present study includes demonstration of fructose-binding activity and cytokine-inducing activity of Del Monte banana lectin. Fructose binding is an unusual characteristic of plant lectins. It is possible that the banana lectin can be developed into a useful anti-HIV, immunopotentiating and antitumor agent in view of its trypsin stability and thermostability."
Astaxanthin carotenoid - a powerful immune stimulator and balancer
From the Message Board at keephopealive.org, the following was posted in 2009 by Simon Caleb from the following website: http://www.cyanotech.com/pdfs/bioastin/batl56.pdf
"A professor at Washington State University named B.P. Chew, PhD has also been studying Astaxanthin's effects on the immune system. First he looked at how Astaxanthin boosted immunity in mice. He discovered that Astaxanthin and beta carotene both increased the lymphocyte function in mice's spleens. This was not true of canthaxanthin.
"Astaxanthin had an additional positive effect that beta carotene did not in that it also enhanced lymphocyte cytotoxic activity (Chew, et al, 2003).
"After proving immune system enhancement in mice, Dr. Chew moved on to study the effect in humans. In a double blind, placebo controlled human clinical, Dr. Chew and his team showed that Astaxanthin is a strong immune system stimulator. The study showed that Astaxanthin:
- Stimulates lymphocyte proliferation
- Increases the total number of antibody producing B-cells
- Produces increased number of T-cells
- Amplifies natural killer cell cytotoxic activity
- Significantly increases delayed-type hypersensitivity response
- Dramatically decreases DNA damage
"To summarize, these results show that Astaxanthin works through many different pathways to support healthy immune function in humans (Chew, et al, 2003).
Dr. Chew along with Dr. J.S. Park wrote a summary article entitled "Carotenoid Action on the Immune Response" in which they spoke very highly about Astaxanthin's advantages for tumor immunity. They stated that -
"Even though astaxanthin, canthaxanthin and beta carotene inhibited tumor growth, astaxanthin showed the highest anti-tumor activity" (Chew and Park, 2004).
"Astaxanthin works to suppress different inflammatory mediators. Among these mediators are tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), prostaglandin E-2 (PGE-2), interleukin 1B (IL-1b) and nitric oxide (NO). In one experiment done with mice and also in-vitro, Astaxanthin was shown to suppress TNF-a, PGE-2, IL-1b, NO as well as the Cox-2 enzyme and nuclear factor kappa-B (Lee, et al, 2003).
Email - simon@guni.net
Note: Sockeye Salmon contains 1 mg astaxantin per ounce. Red Salmon oil capsules are also available.
Fractionated neem leaf extract is safe and increases CD4+ cell levels in HIV/AIDS patients.
Mbah AU, Udeinya IJ, Shu EN, Chijioke CP, Nubila T, Udeinya F, Muobuike A, Mmuobieri A, Obioma MS. Am J Ther. 2007 Jul-Aug;14(4):369-74.
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
"The safety and effect of an acetone-water neem leaf extract (IRAB) on CD4 cells was investigated in 60 HIV/AIDS patients as part of an ongoing study to determine the influence of neem on immunity and viral load in HIV/AIDS. Patients were confirmed as HIV I or II positive, as having CD4 cell count, less than 300 cells/microL, and as antiretrovirally naïve. They were given oral IRAB (1.0 g daily for 12 weeks). Clinical and laboratory tests were carried out at baseline and at 4 weekly intervals. Thus, the patients served as their own controls. Sixty patients completed treatment. Fifty (83.33%) were completely compliant with respect to laboratory tests.
"Increase in mean CD4 cells, 266 cells/microL (159%), for the 50 patients was significant (P < 0.001) between baseline and week 12. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (64 mm/hr at baseline) was 16 mm/hr at week 12, whereas total number of incidences of HIV/AIDS-related pathologies decreased from 120 at baseline to 5. Mean bodyweight, hemoglobin concentration, and lymphocyte differential count increased significantly by 12% (P < 0.05), 24% (P < 0.0001), and 20% (P < 0.0001), respectively.
"There were no adverse effects and no abnormalities in kidney and liver function parameters. The results support the safety of IRAB in HIV/AIDS, and its significant influence on CD4 cells may be useful in the formulation of multidrug combination therapies for HIV/AIDS. However, its antiretroviral activity is being evaluated in our laboratory.
PLOS Medicine Editors' Summary
Inflammatory and Coagulation Biomarkers and Mortality in Patients with HIV Infection
Inflammatory and Coagulation Biomarkers and Mortality in Patients with HIV Infection
Lewis H. Kuller1, Russell Tracy2, Waldo Belloso3, Stephane De Wit4, Fraser Drummond5, H. Clifford Lane6, Bruno Ledergerber7, Jens Lundgren8, Jacqueline Neuhaus9, Daniel Nixon10, Nicholas I. Paton11, James D. Neaton9*, for the INSIGHT SMART Study Group
Background
"Globally, more than 30 million people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV infects and destroys immune system cells (including CD4 cells, a type of lymphocyte)."
"The first stage of HIV infection can involve a short flu-like illness but in the second stage, which can last many years, HIV replicates in the lymph glands (small immune system organs throughout the body) without causing any symptoms."
"Eventually, however, the immune system becomes so damaged that HIV-infected individuals begin to succumb to "opportunistic" infections (for example, bacterial pneumonia) and cancers (in particular, Karposi sarcoma) that the immune system would normally prevent. AIDS itself is characterized by one or more severe opportunistic infections or cancers (so-called AIDS-related diseases) and by a low blood CD4 cell count. HIV infections cannot be cured but antiretroviral therapy (ART)-combinations of powerful antiretroviral drugs-can keep them in check, so many HIV-positive people now have substantially improved life expectancy."
Why Was This Study Done?
"Unfortunately, the effectiveness of ART sometimes wanes over time and prolonged ART can cause unpleasant side effects. Consequently, alternative ART regimens are continually being tested in clinical trials. In the Strategies for Management of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (SMART) trial, for example, HIV-positive patients received either continuous ART (the viral suppression or VS arm), or ART only when their CD4 cell counts were below 250 cells/mm3 (the drug conservation or DC arm; the normal adult CD4 cell count is about 1,000 cells/mm3). Unexpectedly, more people died in the DC arm than in the VS arm from non-AIDS diseases (including heart and circulation problems), a result that led to the trial being stopped early."
"One possible explanation for these excess deaths is that increased HIV levels following ART interruption might have induced an inflammatory response (a non-specific immune response that occurs with infection or wounding) and/or a hypercoagulable state (a condition in which blood clots form inside undamaged blood vessels) and that these changes increased the risk of death from non-AIDS diseases. In this study [a second, follow-up study], the researchers test this [inflammation] hypothesis."
What Did the Researchers Do and Find?
"The researchers measured the levels of proteins that indicate the presence of inflammation or increased coagulation (biomarkers) in stored blood samples from the 85 people who died during the SMART trial (55 and 30 of the participants assigned to receive DC and VS, respectively) and from 170 survivors who served as comparison (control) participants. (Two control participants were "matched" to each participant who had died (cases)."
"In this "case-control" study, an increased risk of death was associated with higher levels at study entry of the inflammation biomarkers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and of the coagulation biomarker D-dimer."
"The risk of death among people with hsCRP values in the highest quarter of measured values was twice that among people with hsCRP values in the lowest quarter (this is expressed as an odds ratio of 2). For IL-6 and D-dimer, the equivalent odds ratios were 8.3 and 12.4, respectively."
"Furthermore, increases in hsCRP, IL-6 and D-dimer after study entry were associated with an increased risk of death. The researchers also measured blood levels of the same biomarkers in 250 randomly chosen patients from each of the two treatment arms. IL-6 levels increased by 30% over the first month of the trial in the DC arm but were unchanged in the VS arm. Over the same period, D-dimer levels increased by 16% and 5% in the DC and VS arms, respectively. Increases in both markers in the DC arm were related to HIV RNA levels after one month."
What Do These Findings Mean?
[The conclusions of the study authors]. IL-6 and D-dimer were strongly related to all-cause mortality. Therapies that reduce the inflammatory response to HIV and decrease IL-6 and D-dimer levels may warrant investigation.
Access the full of this research article at medicine.plosjournals.org
Note: anti-inflammatory treatemnts like hydrocortisone, cayenne and other il-6 inhibitors mentioned earlier are important because inflammation is an ongoing underlying cause of fatalities.
Letter from an Aids patient in India on the benefits of Lime water (calcium hydroxide)
To Mark Konlee;
Dear Sir: It has been nearly one year since I read your website and have tried various supplements. Your recommendations have helped but not as much as has the lime water or calcium hydroxide. This was critical in restoring ph balance. The kaposi sarcoma has started to disappear in my case. I think calcium supplements can treat HIV infection and many other conditions like heavy metal toxicity and various cancers.
Long ago in India lime water was added to tobacco to keep cancer at bay, especially mouth cancer. This information is very jealously guarded by various organizations.
I am taking immune modulators like garlic to improve immune system. Your hard work on bringing this site credible information about HIV is very unbiased and balanced. Your website has helped more than words can say. I am like Lazarus whom Jesus Christ brought from the grave yard into this world.
This is such a terrible illness no doctors here want to deal with it because such a stigma is attached to it. The war is not over. Don't throw in the towel. Keep on keeping on. May God Bless you. A.S. punjab India (Name withheld to protect his privacy)
HIV Infection and Gut Mucosal Immune Function: Updates on Pathogenesis with Implications for Management and Intervention.
Shacklett BL, Anton PA.Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2010 Jan;12(1):19-27
"HIV is primarily a sexually transmitted infection. However, given that the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) houses most of the body's lymphocytes, including activated memory CD4(+) T cells that are preferential targets for HIV, recent research has focused on the role of the GIT in transmission and pathogenesis. In health, the GIT maintains a balance between immune tolerance and rapid responsiveness. A complex network of innate and adaptive responses maintains this balance, which is severely perturbed in HIV infection. Recent studies have focused on mechanisms of GIT CD4(+) T-cell depletion and epithelial disruption in HIV infection, the role of inflammation in accelerating viral dissemination, the kinetics of the adaptive response following transmission, and the extent of T-cell reconstitution following antiretroviral therapy. This review summarizes the results of recent investigations that may have important implications for the development of vaccines, microbicides, and therapeutic interventions for HIV and other mucosal pathogens."
Ocular symptoms experienced by users of mobile phones
Kucer N.Electromagn Biol Med. 2008;27(2):205-9. Physics Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. rkucer@hotmail.com
"This survey study was conducted, using a questionnaire, on 229 university students (181 women, 48 men) in Kocaeli, Turkey. Six ocular symptoms experienced during use of mobile phones were studied by means of the chi-square test with Yates correction. The studied symptoms were blurring of vision, redness of the eyes, vision disturbance, secretion of the eyes, inflammation in the eyes, and lachrymation of the eyes. A significant increase in blurring of vision (p < 0.05) was reported by users of mobile phone possession >2 years compared to users of mobile phone possession <2 years. In users of mobile phones, women significantly (p < 0.05) complained more often of inflammation in the eyes than men."
Mobile phone induced sensorineural hearing loss.
Al-Dousary SH.Saudi Med J. 2007 Aug;28(8):1283-6. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, College of Medicine, King Saud University, PO Box 245, Riyadh 11411, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. sdousary@cec.net.sa
"The increased use of mobile phones worldwide has focused interest on the biological effects and possible health outcomes of exposure to radiofrequency fields from mobile phones, and their base stations.
"Various reports suggest that mobile phone use can cause health problems like fatigue, headache, dizziness, tension, and sleep disturbances; however, only limited research data is available in medical literature regarding interaction between electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones and auditory function; and the possible impact on hearing. We report a case of sensorineural hearing loss due to Global System for Mobile Communications mobile phone use, in a 42-year-old male."
Subjective symptoms reported by people living in the vicinity of cellular phone base stations: review
Bortkiewicz A, Zmy_lony M, Szyjkowska A, Gadzicka E.Med Pr. 2004;55(4):345-51. [Article in Polish] Zak_adu Fizjologii Pracy i Ergonomii, Instytutu Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera w Lodzi. alab@sunlib.p.lodz.pl
"The problem of health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by cellular phone base stations evokes much interest in view of the fact that people living in their vicinity are fated to continuous exposure to EMF. None of the studies carried out throughout the world have revealed excessive values of standards adopted by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). A questionnaire was used as a study tool. The results of the questionnaire survey reveal that people living in the vicinity of base stations report various complaints mostly of the circulatory system, but also of sleep disturbances, irritability, depression, blurred vision, concentration difficulties, nausea, lack of appetite, headache and vertigo. The performed studies showed the relationship between the incidence of individual symptoms, the level of exposure, and the distance between a residential area and a base station. This association was observed in both groups of persons, those who linked their complaints with the presence of the base station and those who did not notice such a relation. Further studies, clinical and those based on questionnaires, are needed to explain the background of reported complaints.
Investigation on the health of people living near mobile telephone relay stations
Santini R, Santini P, Danze JM, Le Ruz P, Seigne M.; Pathol Biol (Paris). 2002 Jul;50(6):369-73.
Pathol Biol (Paris). 2002 Dec;50(10):621.
Institut national des sciences appliquées, laboratoire de biochimie-pharmacologie, bâtiment Louis Pasteur, 20, avenue Albert Einstein, 69621 Villeurbanne, France. rsantini@insa-lyon.fr
"A survey study using questionnaire was conducted in 530 people (270 men, 260 women) living or not in vicinity of cellular phone base stations, on 18 Non Specific Health Symptoms. Comparisons of complaints frequencies (CHI-SQUARE test with Yates correction) in relation with distance from base station and sex, show significant (p < 0.05) increase as compared to people living > 300 m or not exposed to base station, till 300 m for tiredness, 200 m for headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort, etc. 100 m for irritability, depression, loss of memory, dizziness, libido decrease, etc."
"Women significantly more often than men (p < 0.05) complained of headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, depression, discomfort and visual perturbations. This first study on symptoms experienced by people living in vicinity of base stations shows that, in view of radioprotection, minimal distance of people from cellular phone base stations should not be < 300 m."
Note: One meter is equal to 39.37 inches. 300 meters is equal to 328 yards or 984 feet. 984 ft should be the minimum distance between a cell phone tower and any occupied building.
The Journal of Immunity (JOI) has from 8 to 28 pages and is usually published quarterly. However, JOI may be alternated between issues of another publication on environmental issues and/or economic, banking and monetary reform. Keep Hope Alive, PO Box 270041, West Allis, WI 53227