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---------- > From: Sharon & Jim LeBlanc <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Letter To The Editor > Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 4:04 PM > > A Letter To The Editor > > Enough indications now exist to take a hard look at tellurium as a > contributing cause of Parkinson's Disease. > In 1996 Dr. Andrew J. Larner described how tellurium could cause > Alzheimer's Disease. In 1998 Medtox Scientific announced a new blood test > for tellurium, whose normal reference range has not been established. > Tellurium is cancerous and highly mutagenic; and exposure is through > inhalation, ingestion, eye or skin contact. Selenium, the antagonist of > tellurium, prevents cancer. > In 1998 "Airlines On Alert Over Cabin Fumes" Australian flight crews > complained of signs and symptoms of porphyria. In 1999 "A Mysterious > Illness" USA flight crews complained of signs and symptoms of porphyria, a > metallic taste, an allergic seborrhea dermatitis, and a Parkinson's-like > illness. > Tellurium causes a metallic taste and a rash. Porphyria is a group of > diseases in which the body is unable to properly carry out all of the steps > involved in synthesizing heme. Tellurium, which causes hemolysis, is used: > as a catalyst in the cracking of petroleum to make jet fuel and gasoline; > in gasoline antiknock additives; to vulcanize rubber; in insecticides; > germicides; fungicides; glass and ceramics; in blasting caps; and can be > found in water, bacteria and vegetation. > Tellurium (Te), a sulfur-like semi-metallic element; binds (Fe3+) > metals; inhibits Complex I and GSH; binds with N-Methyl and Ethyl > Carbamate; and can be incorporated into [2Fe-2S] proteins like the Reiske. > The Reiske protein is critical to the oxidation of ubiquinol and is > utilized by ferrochelatase, which incorporates iron into porphyrin to > synthesize heme. An NDUFV2 mutation, NMTIQ and rotenone inhibit ubiquinone. > Manganese Toxicity inhibits iron from reaching ferrochelatase. MPTP reacts > with metalloporphyrin. All cause Parkinson's Diseases. Mercury alters > coproporphyrin. > Heme Cytochrome c and lipid peroxidation aggregate alpha-synuclein > into Lewy Bodies in Parkinson's Disease. Fruit flies inserted with the gene > called alpha-synuclein show many of the physical traits of people suffering > with Parkinsons. Whether it is dopa-Fe3+ complexes, threonine repeats of > alpha-synuclein, superoxide radicals of 6-hydroxydopamine or SOD2 Juvenile > Parkinsons, all Parkinson's Diseases involve increased lipid peroxidation > initiated by neuromelanin. Neuromelanin binds with porphyrin which accepts > ferrous iron from ferrochelatase that utilizes the Reiske protein which can > incorporate tellurium. > In 1996 the EPA removed tellurium from its Most Hazardous Substance > List. > Sharon Leblanc