Reader Comments

Post a new comment on this article

Placebos without Deception: A proposed mechanism in Irritible Bowel Syndrome and other stress-activated conditions

Posted by rickisfriend on 11 Jan 2011 at 17:02 GMT

Insofar as instances of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be caused by stress-activated autovirulence, the Kaptchuk et al. findings could provide an unique opportunity to explicate roles of placebos in stress-activated conditions.

The term autovirulence refers to transmissible and infectious virus secondary particles that usually are small RNAs (Smith, 1983; Smith, 1984; cf. Fisher, 2009). My research implicates Epstein-Barr virus autovirions (e.g., EBER-1 and EBER-2) and selected adenovirus autovirions (e.g., VA-I and VA-II) in the etiologies of molecular mimicry, autoimmune disorders, selected cancers, de novo mutations, congenital conditions (e.g., Down syndrome), autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and numerous other diseases and evolutionary conditions (e.g., selected hemoglobinopathies). With research now revealing that stress can activate EBV et al. and contributing to the secondary release of transmissible and infectious autovirions, the Kaptchuk et al. findings could indicate placebos possibly modulate stress in selected subjects with IBS. This hypothesis is testable and, if affirmed, may provide a basis for further research on clinical markers of stress and stress-activated autovirions.

References
Smith, R. W. (1983). How Would You Recognize and Detect a Virally Modified Code? Could Kuru be Caused by Cannibalism of Autotoxic Factors in Brain and Lymphoid Tissue? Does Purification of Molecular Function Differ from Purification of Molecular Structure? *** A Critique of Impure Reasoning in Biological Sciences. Abstracts, 7th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science [Salzburg, AUSTRIA — July] 4:358-362.

Smith, R. W. (1984). AIDS and 'Slow Viruses'. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 437:576-607. Based on a presentation to the Conference on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), New York Academy of Sciences [New York, NY — November 1983].

Fisher, C. (2009). A Novel and Potentially Groundbreaking Viral Theory of Autism and Schizophrenia. Behavioral Medicine Report (Available online at <http://www.bmedreport.com... Thursday March 19th, 2009).

No competing interests declared.