Biochemical abnormalities in patients with multiple chemical sensitivities.

Patients with MCS show numerous physiological and biochemical abnormalities and are generally sicker than a control group of allergic patients. Associated with MCS are mitral valve prolapse, hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, specific abnormalities of amino acid and essential fatty acid metabolism, and diminished activity of ESOD and EGPx. Equally prevalent among MCS patients and controls are deficiencies of magnesium and Vitamin B6. Since patients with MCS feel sick almost all of the time, it is likely that some of these abnormalities contribute to their general level of ill health, if not to their sensitivities. It is also possible that these various abnormalities are caused by some unidentified fundamental metabolic or neuroendocrine disturbance that is common to states of hypersensitivity. A provocative finding is the high frequency with which impaired anti-oxidant levels were detected. Erythrocyte activity of SOD was low in 89% and EGPx was low in 48% of MCS patients. Furthermore, 41% showed impaired excretion of essential amino acids, despite a high protein diet, and leucocyte vitamin C was low in the 5 patients not taking vitamin C supplements. Anti-oxidant deficiences may certainly contribute to hypersensitivity to environmental pollutants and toxic chemicals. In fact, treatment with anti-oxidants, including selenium, vitamin C, copper, zinc, and sulfur-containing amino acids was associated with major clinical improvement in 14 (25%) of the patients in the MCS group and with limited relief of symptoms in another 10 (18%). In all patients in whom ESOD or EGPx were repeated, improvement in levels was observed following treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)