The Neurological Significance of
Abnormal Natural Killer Cell Activity
in Toxic Mold Exposures
Toxic mold makes chemicals that can act like antibiotics or can kill cells. Indoor environmental exposure to these toxigenic molds leads to adverse health conditions. Specifically, in this research, toxic mold has neurological, immune system and behavior consequences. One of the immune system disorders found in patients with toxic mold exposure is abnormal natural killer cell activity. An extensive review of the science showed mycotoxins affect the functions and mechanisms of NKC activities. The major mycotoxin neurological and immune affects include:
- Headaches
- General debilitating pains
- Nose bleeds
- Fevers with body temperatures up to 40 degrees C (104 F)
- Coughing
- Memory loss
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Sleep disturbances
- Anxiety
- Chronic fatigue
- Vertigo/dizziness
- Seizures
Although sleep is commonly considered a restorative process that is important for the proper functioning of the immune system, it could be disturbed by mycotoxins. Most likely, mycotoxins exert some rigorous effects on the circadian rhythmic processes resulting in sleep deprivation to which an acute and transient increase in NKC activity is observed. Depression, psychological stress, tissue injuries, malignancies, carcinogenesis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and experimental allergic brain inflammation could be induced at very low physiological concentrations by mycotoxin-induced NKC activity. In the light of this review, it is concluded that chronic exposures to toxigenic mold could lead to abnormal NKC activity with a wide range of neurological consequences, some of which were headache, general debilitating pains, fever, cough, memory loss, depression, mood swings, sleep disturbances, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and seizures.
Anyanwu E, Campbell AW, Jones J, Ehiri JE, Akpan AI. The neurological significance of abnormal natural killer cell activity in chronic toxigenic mold exposures. Scientific World Journal. 2003;3:1128-37.
