Pyroluria

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Pyroluria (or malvaria from the term mauve factor) is a controversial diagnosis in the branch of orthomolecular medicine, a branch of alternative medicine and is alleged to be caused by the presence of excessive levels of a pyrrole in the body.1

Pyroluria was initially described by Abram Hoffer, a pioneer in alternative medicine such as orthomolecular medicine and orthomolecular psychiatry.2 Proponents claim that pyroluria is relatively common, but few, if any, mainstream medical experts regard the condition as genuine, with few or no articles on pyroluria found in modern medical literature,3 and the approach is described as "snake oil" by critics, such as the pediatrician and author Julian Haber.4

Description

According to proponents, one of the pyrroles (kryptopyrrole or mauve factor) is a by-product of improper hemoglobin synthesis.56 However, other pyrroles have been implicated, and what literature exists on this topic is unclear.7 These pyrroles are then said to bind to vitamin B6, and zinc and are eliminated through urine, potentially causing deficiencies of these compounds. Pyrolurics are also said to become deficient in omega-6 fatty acids (specifically arachidonic acid). However, other studies have either failed to detect hemopyrrole and kryptopyrrole in the urine of either normal controls or schizophrenics,89 or found no correlation between these chemicals and mental illness.10

The pyroluria hypothesis was advocated by Carl Pfeiffer of Emory University, the Princeton Brain-Bio Center, a precursor of the Pfeiffer Treatment Center.11 According to Pfeiffer, pyroluria is a form of schizophrenic porphyria, similar to acute intermittent porphyria where both pyrroles and porphyrins are excreted in the human urine to an excessive degree.12 Pfeiffer described the histories of patients of his who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, whose urine contained extraordinarily high levels of kryptopyroles, who returned to health within a week after he prescribed the appropriate amounts of vitamin B6 and zinc.13

The Center claims an 85% success rate for treating ADHD, autism, and schizophrenia, but other scientists say their methods have not been rigorously tested.4

Pyroluria is sometimes claimed to affect people with ADHD, alcoholism, autism, depression, down syndrome, manic-depression, and schizophrenia.14 However, pyroluria is not considered related to schizophrenia in conventional medicine.1516

Individuals who are assessed as having pyroluria may be diagnosed with coeliac disease, epilepsy, or psychosis; proponents say these may be mis-diagnoses, actually representing symptoms of the underlying pyroluria.17 Pyroluria is sometimes claimed to have a genetic origin, with proponents saying the condition runs in families.1814 The elevated kryptopyrroles that are said to be found in pyrolurics are claimed to increase dramatically when these people experience stress.1819

Footnotes

  1. ^ Heleniak E, Lamola S (1986). "A new prostaglandin disturbance syndrome in schizophrenia: delta-6-pyroluria". Med Hypotheses 19 (4): 333–8. doi:10.1016/0306-9877(86)90106-4. PMID 3520252. 
  2. ^ LaPerchia P (1987 Fall). "Behavioral disorders, learning disabilities and megavitamin therapy". Adolescence 22 (87): 729–38. PMID 2963502. 
  3. ^ National Library for Health (2005-10-05). "What is pyroluria, is it an accepted clinical entity and what are the treatment?". Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  4. ^ a b Skertic, Mark (April 21, 2002). "For some, a question of balancing nutrients", SunTimes.com.  Available at the internet archive. Retrieved on 2008-02-17
  5. ^ Irvine DG, Bayne W, Miyashita H, Majer JR (1969). "Identification of kryptopyrrole in human urine and its relation to psychosis". Nature 224 (5221): 811–3. doi:10.1038/224811a0. PMID 5361661. 
  6. ^ >Irvine DG, Bayne W, Miyashita H, Majer JR (1969). "Identification of kryptopyrrole in human urine and its relation to psychosis". Nature 224 (5221): 811–3. doi:10.1038/224811a0. 
  7. ^ Irvine DG (1978). "Hydroxy-hemopyrrolenone, not kryptopyrrole, in the urine of schizophrenics and porphyrics". Clin. Chem. 24 (11): 2069–70. PMID 709853, http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=709853. 
  8. ^ Gendler PL, Duhan HA, Rapoport H (1978). "Hemopyrrole and kryptopyrrole are absent from the urine of schizophrenics and normal persons". Clin. Chem. 24 (2): 230–3. PMID 627053, http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/reprint/24/2/230. 
  9. ^ Jacobson SJ, Rapoport H, Ellman GL (1975). "The nonoccurrence of hemo- and kryptopyrrole in urine of schizophrenics". Biol. Psychiatry 10 (1): 91–3. PMID 1120177. 
  10. ^ Gorchein A (1980). "Urine concentration of 3-ethyl-5-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-delta 3-pyrrolin-2-one ('mauve factor') is not causally related to schizophrenia or to acute intermittent porphyria". Clin. Sci. 58 (6): 469–76. PMID 7428279. 
  11. ^ Saul, A.W.; Jolliffe M, Hoffer A. "Bibliography of the Publications of Carl Pfeiffer, MD, PhD". doctoryourself.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
  12. ^ "Pyroluria". nutritional-healing.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  13. ^ Pfeiffer, Carl C.. Nutrition and Mental Illness: An Orthomolecular Approach to Balancing Body Chemistry. Healing Art Press. ISBN 0-89281-226-5. 
  14. ^ a b James A. Jackson, M.T., (ASCP), Ph.D., BCLD; Hugh D. Riordan, M.D.; Sharon Neathery, M.T.; Neil H. Riordan, PA-C. (1997). "Urinary Pyrrole in Health and Disease" (PDF). The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine 12 (2nd Quarter): 96–8, http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1997/pdf/1997-v12n02-p096.pdf. Retrieved on 17 February 2008. 
  15. ^ Holman, Paul (July 1995). "Pyroxidine - Vitamin B-6" (PDF). Journal of Australian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine 14 (1): 5–16, http://www.acnem.org/journal/pdf_files/14-1_july_1995/14-1_pyridoxine-vitamin_b6.pdf. Retrieved on 19 April 2007. 
  16. ^ Cruz R, Vogel W (1978). "Pyroluria: a poor marker in chronic schizophrenia". Am J Psychiatry 135 (10): 1239–40. PMID 696910. 
  17. ^ "Pyroluria and Elevated Kryptopyrrole". Direct Healthcare Access II Laboratory Inc. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  18. ^ a b Edelman, Eva (2001). Natural Healing for Schizophrenia and Other Common Mental Disorders, 3rd, Borage Books. ISBN 0965097676. 
  19. ^ Walsh WJ, Glab LB, Haakenson ML (2004). "Reduced violent behavior following biochemical therapy". Physiol. Behav. 82 (5): 835–9. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.06.023. PMID 15451647. 

References

  • Braverman, Eric; Pfeiffer, C., Blum, K. & Smayda, R. (2003). The Healing Nutrients Within: Facts, Findings, and New Research on Amino Acids, 3rd, Basic Health Publications. ISBN 1-59120-037-7. 
  • Edelman, Eva (2001). Natural Healing for Schizophrenia: And Other Common Mental Disorders. Borage Books. ISBN 0-9650976-7-6. 
  • Hoffer, Abram (2004). Healing Schizophrenia: Complementary Vitamin & Drug Treatments. CCNM Press. ISBN 1-897025-08-4. 
  • Hoffer, Abram (1999). Orthomolecular Treatment for Schizophrenia: Megavitamin supplements and nutritional strategies for healing and recovery. Keats Publishing. ISBN 0-87983-910-4. 
  • Pfeiffer, Carl C. (1988). Nutrition and Mental Illness : An Orthomolecular Approach to Balancing Body Chemistry. Healing Arts Press. ISBN 0-89281-226-5. 
  • Reading, Chris M.; Meillon, R.S. (2002). Trace Your Genes to Health: Use Your Family Tree to Guide Your Diet, Enhance Your Immune System and Overcome Chronic Disease. Vital Health Publishing. ISBN 1-890612-23-5. 

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  • This page was last modified on 6 November 2008, at 19:12.

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