Re: Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker
Posted by Cindy Fulghum on 4/13/07
On 1/04/05, Greg Weatherman wrote: > For those interested, > > The research done by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker (private physician), Dr. > Ken Hudnell (EPA neurotoxicologist) and Dennis House (Retired EPA > Statitician)has finally been published in a peer reviewed, scientific > journal (for Daubert examination purposes). Now that the light switch > has been turned "on", we'll see the cockroaches scurry for cover in > the darkness. I hear someone very prominent is listed as a reviewer. > I have inserted a link at the bottom of the page for anyone who wants > to purchase the article to read: > > Neurotoxicology and Teratology > > A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin- > associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings > > Ritchie C. Shoemaker a, b, and Dennis E. House b > > a Chronic Fatigue Center, 500 Market Street, Suite 103, Pocomoke City, > MD 21851, United States > > b Center for Research on Biotoxin-Associated Illness, 500 Market > Street, Suite102, Pocomoke City, MD 21851, United States > > Received 6 April 2004; revised 30 July 2004; accepted 30 July 2004. > Available online 13 September 2004. > > Abstract > > The human health risk for chronic illnesses involving multiple body > systems following inhalation exposure to the indoor environments of > water-damaged buildings (WDBs) has remained poorly characterized and > the subject of intense controversy. The current study assessed the > hypothesis that exposure to the indoor environments of WDBs with > visible microbial colonization was associated with illness. The study > used a cross-sectional design with assessments at five time points, > and the interventions of cholestyramine (CSM) therapy, exposure > avoidance following therapy, and reexposure to the buildings after > illness resolution. The methodological approach included oral > administration of questionnaires, medical examinations, laboratory > analyses, pulmonary function testing, and measurements of visual > function. Of the 21 study volunteers, 19 completed assessment at each > of the five time points. Data at Time Point 1 indicated multiple > symptoms involving at least four organ systems in all study > participants, a restrictive respiratory condition in four > participants, and abnormally low visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) in > 18 participants. Serum leptin levels were abnormally high and alpha > melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) levels were abnormally low. > Assessments at Time Point 2, following 2 weeks of CSM therapy, > indicated a highly significant improvement in health status. > Improvement was maintained at Time Point 3, which followed exposure > avoidance without therapy. Reexposure to the WDBs resulted in illness > reacquisition in all participants within 1 to 7 days. Following > another round of CSM therapy, assessments at Time Point 5 indicated a > highly significant improvement in health status. The group-mean number > of symptoms decreased from 14.9±0.8 S.E.M. at Time Point 1 to 1.2±0.3 > S.E.M., and the VCS deficit of approximately 50&37; at Time Point 1 was > fully resolved. Leptin and MSH levels showed statistically significant > improvement. The results indicated that CSM was an effective > therapeutic agent, that VCS was a sensitive and specific indicator of > neurologic function, and that illness involved systemic and > hypothalamic processes. Although the results supported the general > hypothesis that illness was associated with exposure to the WDBs, this > conclusion was tempered by several study limitations. Exposure to > specific agents was not demonstrated, study participants were not > randomly selected, and double-blinding procedures were not used. > Additional human and animal studies are needed to confirm this > conclusion, investigate the role of complex mixtures of bacteria, > fungi, mycotoxins, endotoxins, and antigens in illness causation, and > characterize modes of action. Such data will improve the assessment of > human health risk from chronic exposure to WDBs. > > Regards, > > Greg Weatherman > aerobioLogical Solutions Inc. > Arlington VA 22202 > > gw@aerobiological.com > >
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