Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Abstract

Diverse hydrophobic compounds can inter-act with bi- ological resporlse mechanisms simply by binding to a hytlropllobic pockel, ;IS one ~nigtlt postulate for a known bacterial che~notaxis system that responds to a wide variety of hydrophobic compounds (12). Similarly. Shal-orn et al. (13) have described the 1'-glycoprotein as ;i "hydrophobic vacuum cleaner" binding to a wide v;i1-iety of' hytlrophobic compounds, so the issue of ~ O I ~ I T I C ) I . Iresponse lo various l-rytlrophobic che~nicals can be laid to rest. However, the need for a plausi1)le ~nechiu~isrn for inducing such exquisite chemical sen- siti\:il\ in humans, as reported in MCS, reniair~s. Arltel- man (14) describes similar responses to a wide variety of chemical stressors in an animal model of' SICS, suggesting that a neural sensitization mechanism is ir~volved13111 leaving open the issue of how the high- Icvel ser1sitivit.y reported in M(:S can be expl;rir~t.tl. There appears tc.) be iigreernent aniong certain propo- ~ l c r ~ t s of a physiological h;~sis for- MCS, ;IS well as one skeptic, that a new paradigm is needed to explain any such physiological mechanism (1 1. 15-17). This paper proposes a pl;iusihle set of' mechanisms for induced esq~~isite chemical sensitivity based on two previously proposed- theories of MCS: the elevated nitric. oxide/ peroxy~lilrite theory and the ne~lral se11sitiz;ition the- o1-y. It may bc vielved as ;I fusion of and extension of those theories. The mechanisms proposed are sup- ~ m r t e dby evidence for these two earlier theories as well as by other evidence, as discussed below. THE ELEVATED NITRIC OXIDE/PEROXYNITRITE AND THE NEURAL SENSITIZATION THEORIES OF MCS MCS has multiple overlaps with three other medical cor~dit.iorls: chronic fatigue syntlrome ((:FS), fibromy- algia (Fh4), and post-trauma~.ic stress disorder (PTSD). ..Ilie fi)ur c:onditior~s share overlappir~g synlptorns; Inany prople are diagnosecl as having more than one of these clisordcrs. Marly cases

Key Biomarkers

Symptom Clusters