Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2004 Jan;48(1):236-41. Related Articles, Links
Growth-inhibitory effect of heparin on Babesia parasites.
Bork S, Yokoyama N, Ikehara Y, Kumar S, Sugimoto C, Igarashi I.
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
We examined the inhibitory effects of three heparins on the growth of Babesia parasites. The multiplication of Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. equi, and B. caballi in in vitro cultures and that of B. microti in vivo were significantly inhibited in the presence of heparins, as determined by light microscopy.
Treatment with various concentrations of heparin showed complete clearance of the intracellular parasites. Interestingly, a higher percentage of abnormally multidividing B. bovis parasites was observed in the presence of low concentrations of heparin. Furthermore, fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled heparin was preferably found on the surfaces of extracellular merozoites, as detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy.
These findings indicate that the heparin covers the surfaces of babesial merozoites and inhibits their subsequent invasion of erythrocytes.
PMID: 14693545 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posted by flossie (Member # 3384) on :
thanks for posting this and the related article on canine babesiosis.
i'm on heparin & PC noni to see what that does to my resistant babs... i don't think i'n a dog, but we'll see if it works...
flossie
Posted by bugabooboo (Member # 7383) on :
I just had this conversation with my LLMD today.
I have been rifing for Babesia and my fingertips have been getting bright red, swollen and painful.
I have been taking lumbrokinase and when I bump it up it helps but doesn't take those symptoms away.
I asked him if I could be on Heparin again.
He said that Heparin was not an antiprotazoal that he knew of but "who knows"?
How can I get hold of this publication?
Thanks,
Bug
Posted by Jellybelly (Member # 7142) on :
Here is a little piece I am reposting, that I posted over a year ago from Quest Diagnostics on how heparin works on Babesia:
Effects of Heparin on Babesia
Babesia are malaria-like parasites of man and animals. Babesia microti hasbeen identified as a newly emerging infection along the Eastern seaboardfrom Cape Cod to New Jersey. The major vector associated with its spreadis the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) - the same tick associated with Lyme disease. Investigators in Japan studied the effectof various heparins on this parasite and found that, depending on the concen-tration of heparin, there may be complete clearance of intracellular parasites! The findings suggest that the heparin coats the surface of the parasite and inhibits its invasion of the red cells. Bork, S. et al. 2004. Growth-inhibitory effect of heparin on Babesia parasites. AntimicrobialAgents and Chemotherapy 48: 236-241.
Someone once posted the whole article, I'll try to find that.
Posted by micul (Member # 6314) on :
Does anyone know how much Heparin is needed and for how long?
Posted by Jellybelly (Member # 7142) on :
That would depend on everyone individually depending on things like weight, how bad the hypercoagulation is. I was on heparin for about 3 1/2 years. My doses went up and down over that time, depending also on things like whether or not I was herxing.
Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
Title: Effects of protein kinase inhibitors on the in vitro growth of Babesia bovis
Bork S, Das S, Okubo K, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I Source: PARASITOLOGY 132: 775-779 Part 6, JUN 2006
Abstract: Staurosporine, Ro-31-7549, and KN-93, which are inhibitors of serine/threonine protein kinase, protein kinase C, and calcium-modulin kinase, respectively, were tested for their effects on the in vitro growth of Babesia bovis. Staurosporine was the most effective inhibitor, completely clearing the parasitaemia as early as the first day of exposure at a concentration of 100 mu M. Moreover, staurosporine caused a significant increase in the percentage of extracellular merozoites, most likely due to the inhibition of erythrocyte invasion by the parasite. Although 5 mm Ro-31-7549 and KN-93 had a suppressive action, this was not enough to destroy the parasite. Interestingly, concentrations of 0-5 to 5 mm KN-93 influenced the parasitic development within the infected erythrocytes. The present study suggests that B. bovis requires, to a certain extent, the phosphorylations mediated by parasite- or host erythrocyte-protein kinases, in particular, for the processes of successful invasion of erythrocytes and intraerythrocytic development.
Posted by flossie (Member # 3384) on :
i'm curious -- is anyone who is doing long term high-ish dose heparin for babesia worried about side effect of osteoporosis? or have any info on that from their LLMDs?
i am genetically predisposed to it, and am wondering if i should be trying to use other anti-coagulants instead of heparin. but then it seems this activity is particualr to heparin, and might not be seen with other thinning agents.
and, anyone have any info on aspirin and babesia?
thanks, flossie
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
Wow, this is amazing. I had no idea that heparin would have any effect on Babs.....
Tracy
Posted by Jellybelly (Member # 7142) on :
Hi Flossie, I was on a very small dose, I think around a 1000 mg???? I don't have the prescription anymore, but it was standard. The doses given for hypercoagulation are not even close to high-ish. How much effect that might have had on the Babesia over time.....I don't know for sure.
What I do know is that I am in about 85-95% remission and have been for about 4 years, at least 2 1/2 years since stopping heparin. I take nothing for pain, or sleep any more. I do not think I would be in this state if I had not used the heparin, keeping in mind that while I have used ABX, it has been by no means the massive doses others take.
I was very sick, having been infected since childhood. I not only felt toxic and like I was dieing, but I looked the part. I now look healthy and feel really good for a woman in perimenopause land.
Posted by clpgotlyme (Member # 7875) on :
Just a little reminder from someone who learned the hard way. You have to really adjust to frequent blood draws and not to injure yourself. I almost bled to death while on anticoagulents when I got a kidney stone. Does anyone know if the natural meds for hypercoagulation are as risky? Cindy
Posted by Jellybelly (Member # 7142) on :
Whoa Cindy, that's not good. Let me ask you this though. Were you on heparin for the ISAC form of hypercoagulation??? Excessive bleeding is NOT a problem with this low dose that I have even heard of. In the 4+ years I was on it I never had one doctor worry about my bleeding to much. I even had surgery, wisdom teeth puled and my daughter gave birth to her first while on heparin. It has a very short half life and can be reversed in a flash, if that was ever a problem with the micro doses, but like I say, never heard of it.
Actually my doctor said that being on the heparin and then say I was in a terrible car crash leading to massive bleeding that the heparin may actually aid in saving my life. Why? Because with our blood in it's usual hypercoaguable state, the formation of blood clots is just around the corner. You still clot with low dose heparin but may not to the point of having life threatening clots as your body shifts into over drive trying to stop the bleeding.
So if you could please clarify what kind of dose you were taking. Don't want to scare people off needlessly.
Posted by clpgotlyme (Member # 7875) on :
Sorry, I didnt mean to scare anyone. I didnt realise you took very low doses. I was on regular doses for a clot formed when I got my PICC line inserted.
That makes more sense, then. So, you didnt have to have frequent levels checked, then? I did think I got less migraines when I was on it, thats why I am interested.I'm just wondering if I would get the same effect with one of the natural ones. Cindy
Posted by flossie (Member # 3384) on :
hmmm. my doc has me on 5000I.U. 2 times daily, injected into fatty area. both for hypercoagulation and babesia...
i'm not sure if this is a medium dose or low-ish. but not "micro" i don't think. i still am slightly too coagulated on blood tests, and they are thinking of increasing it slightly...
flossie
Posted by aiden424 (Member # 7633) on :
I hope I can stay on heparin for a while. I've been on it for about six months now. I was on warfarin for several years for factor V leiden. I will never take warfarin again. I had to give 12 tubes of blood today for tests ordered by lyme doctor and I was amazed that my blood looked so much more normal since being on the heparin. The nurse who took my blood even commented on it.
I REALLY wish I had gone to a LLMD years a go!!
Kathy
Posted by Jellybelly (Member # 7142) on :
Hi flossie
Ok, I went and searched for my old test results and I still had them. All I could remember is that it was 1000 something.
I took a nasal spray heparin and each sqirt was 1000 units, not mgs. I took 4 squirts in the morn and 4 at night. That would be a total of 8 squirts of 1000 units each totalling 8000 units. That is what I usually took, but when I was herxing I had to increase to 4 squirts 3xs a day totalling 12,000 units.
This is still a micro dose compared to what is given for the treatment of blood clots. It is those higher doses that are a concern because of osteoperosis.
Even at 12,000 units I was never retested except but maybe every 3-4 months, really just to see how the fibrin levels were. Never was I checked ever to make sure I was not going to bleed to much, it just wasn't a concern, not with any doctor.
Posted by flossie (Member # 3384) on :
ok thanks jelly, good to know.
from what i've seen in my very limited research, it's not necessarily super high doses that can effect bone density.... but both my docs, who i trust, don't think it's a problem. so i'm drawing up my injection right now.
if anyone reading this has used LMW (low molecular weight) heparin, i'd be very curious to hear about it... it seems that is more expensive but carries no risk of bone loss. but i'm not even sure if it works the samw way and whether it would therefore be active at all against babesia...
thanks flossie
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
The study quoted doent mention B microti, the babs that is transmitted by ticks. But the Quest diagnostics abstract does say microti.
I am intersted in learning more about this when my brain can handle it.
If there are more researchers out there, can you find an article or research paper that directly has b. microti being affected by heparin?
Posted by nellypointis (Member # 1719) on :
See this article (full text if you use the link) that shows how Babesia bovis is sequestered in microvasculature, hence the benefits from heparin (or other blood thinning agents?).
This is not a new study, but Allred also made a little animation to show just how this cyto-adherence plays a part in the persistence of Babesiosis
Trails, the studies are vet studies so they tend to concentrate on bovis and canis (because greyhounds and cattle are worth more than we are!)
Cytoadherence of Babesia bovis-Infected Erythrocytes to Bovine Brain Capillary Endothelial Cells Provides an In Vitro Model for Sequestration
Received 27 January 1999/Returned for modification 12 March 1999/Accepted 19 May 1999
Babesia bovis, an intraerythrocytic parasite of cattle, is sequestered in the host microvasculature, a behavior associated with cerebral and vascular complications of this disease. Despite the importance of this behavior to disease etiology, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been investigated. To study the components involved in sequestration, B. bovis parasites that induce adhesion of the infected erythrocytes (IRBCs) to bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BBEC) in vitro were isolated. Two clonal lines, CD7A+I+ and CE11A+I, were derived from a cytoadherent, monoclonal antibody 4D9.1G1-reactive parasite population. This antibody recognizes a variant, surface-exposed epitope of the variant erythrocyte surface antigen 1 (VESA1) of B. bovis IRBCs. Both clonal lines were cytoadhesive to BBEC and two other bovine endothelial cell lines but not to COS7 cells, FBK-4 cells, C32 melanoma cells, or bovine brain pericytes. By transmission electron microscopy, IRBCs were observed to bind to BBEC via the knobby protrusions on the IRBC surface, indicating involvement of components associated with these structures. Inhibition of protein export in intact, trypsinized IRBCs ablated both erythrocyte surface reexpression of parasite protein and cytoadhesion. IRBCs allowed to recover surface antigen expression regained the ability to bind endothelial cells, demonstrating that parasite protein export is required for cytoadhesion. We propose the use of this assay as an in vitro model to study the components involved in B. bovis cytoadherence and sequestration.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pathobiology, Box 110880, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0880. Phone: (352) 392-4700 ext. 5826. Fax: (352) 392-9704. E-mail: [email protected] .
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
quote:Originally posted by trails: The study quoted doent mention B microti, the babs that is transmitted by ticks.
If there are more researchers out there, can you find an article or research paper that directly has b. microti being affected by heparin?
From first article above.. "We examined the inhibitory effects of three heparins on the growth of Babesia parasites. The multiplication of Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. equi, and B. caballi in in vitro cultures and that of B. microti in vivo were significantly inhibited in the presence of heparins, as determined by light microscopy."
Posted by Jellybelly (Member # 7142) on :
Trails, this stuff is really new so there is not much out there so far. I look every now and then since I am in remission and I did take the heparin for quite some time. I wonder why I am in remission and if this has anything to do with it.
I never thought to look in thto the veterinary aspect of this, I will though.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
At one point, my heparin dosage was 11,000 units per day. I had monthly bloodwork done.
I think when you have a blood clot, they give you something like 50,000 units and up.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :