How I Discovered and Developed My Endocrine Immune Test

How I Discovered and Developed My Endocrine Immune Test

In the late 1970’s, I was first researching the importance of thyroid hormones and their relationship to other hormones in the body. I designed a serum test with the help of Veterinary Reference Laboratory that would identify various thyroid hormones which normally occur in canines and felines.

The test included the following members of the thyroid, hormone family:

• Free T3 known as triiodothyronine is an indication that this thyroid hormone is active in the body.
• Free T4 is known as thyroxin and is a further indication that this thyroid hormone is also active in the body.
• Total T3 (triiodothyronine) measures the amount in combination of both bound and unbound T3.
• Total T4 (thyroxin) measures the amount in combination, of both bound and unbound T4.
• TBG is known as thyroxin-binding globulin. TBG is synthesized mainly in the liver.

TBG along with transthyetin and albumin are responsible of carrying T3 and T4 in the body.

I soon found clinically, that many of these thyroid hormone levels that I measured were within the normal range, but the signs of hypothyroidism in my patient still remained.

At the same time I was doing my thyroid panels, I was researching the effects of the middle layer, adrenal cortex production of cortisol and the effects it was having on other hormones in the body, including total estrogen, that also measured adrenal estrogen. I designed this test in the early 1980’s and was fortunate enough to have Dr. Arnold Epstein and his partner, Dr. Eli Goldstein as biochemists and heads of A and E Laboratories, do the tests for me.

I found that if the middle layer adrenal cortex production of cortisol was deficient, or even elevated and inactive, the negative feedback mechanism to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis would be damaged.

When this condition existed, the pituitary production would not be reduced in this damaged feedback mechanism and the increased amount of ACTH would stimulate the inner layer adrenal cortex to produce elevated amounts of estrogen and androgen.

At this time, the medical profession knew about the problems elevated androgen might cause, but did not realize the many problems elevated adrenal estrogen would cause.

At that time, I found that elevated estrogen caused a binding of the thyroid receptor sites. I began to wonder if that was the reason why in my thyroid panel, all the thyroid hormones were normal!

Since the production of adrenal estrogen seems to have a major function in the body, the amount of active cortisol as compared to inactive cortisol that is being produced is also very important. Because of this, I decided to add cortisol and total estrogen to my thyroid panel which was now:

• T3
• Free T4
• Total T3
• Total T4
• TBG
• Cortisol
• Total estrogen

NOTE: The test was only done on non-estrous females, spayed females and male dogs, cats and horses.

This finally explained to me why a patient can produce normal thyroid hormones and yet still be hypothyroid.

This is why I stopped testing my first thyroid panel, which only included the 4 thyroid hormones and TBG, because without including cortisol and total estrogen, there is no way that I could tell if the body could even use those hormones.

NOTE: Salivary tests and 24 hour urine tests were developed to identify free thyroid hormone, but they did not indicate if they were being used by the body or not.

This is why comparative hormone tests are of great importance. You absolutely need to know if the hormone produced and measured by the body can actually be used or not by the body!

A hormone level may fall within the normal limit for what that laboratory believes is normal, but without comparing what the hormone does to other glandular secretions in the body, the hormone may be bound or the receptor site that it should bind to, has already been bound by another hormone or substances like phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens.

For more information please read the articles titled Metabolic Hypothyroidism In Humans And Animals and How Can My Dog Be Hypothyroid and Still Have Normal Thyroid Hormone Production?

Using my new hormone panel, I was supplementing all the hormonal imbalances in my patients, but still not achieving the overall results that I was expecting.

I knew I was missing something, but I was not exactly sure what it was until one day I wondered how the immune system might be involved.

After searching many medical journals, and reading many research, medical abstracts and books, I began realizing that the endocrine system regulates the immune system.

Not ever having a grant or foundation backing to do my clinical studies, I was forced to decide what part of the immune system I might include in my latest tests.

I decided to include three of five antibodies that were produced by the B- lymphocyte. That seemed to be the most economically feasible, and besides, I had already done the testing of a large number of antibodies called immunoglobulins.

My previous studies indicated that IgA, IgM and IgG were the most important clinically.

I decided to once again redo my panel, which included more than just hormones, and I called it my endocrine immune panel.

I decided to delete the Free T3, Free T4 and the TBG from my panel because they seemed only to cloud the issue.

My final endocrine immune panel was as follows:

• Cortisol
• Total estrogen
• Total T3
• Total T4
• IgA
• IgM
• IgG

Now realizing that the endocrine system regulates the immune system. I was able to normalize a patients hormone imbalance by using only as much hormone supplementation as necessary to normalize that B-lymphocyte production of immunoglobulins.

I also found at this time, that in canines and felines, if their IgA level was below 58mg/dL, they would not be able to absorb any oral hormone supplements, including synthetic cortisol.

The exciting thing I found medically when comparing the endocrine system with the immune system, is that each patient can be individually titrated, as to the amount of hormone supplementation they need in order to normalize their B- lymphocyte production of immunoglobulins.

After doing over 100,000 endocrine immune tests, with two veterinary laboratories and one human laboratory, the test results indicated that once the function of the B-lymphocyte was corrected, the normal function of T-Lymphocyte would follow.

There are prominent doctors still using my early thyroid panels today that I developed years ago, but as I’ve explained, I’ve since developed even better panels.

This regulatory, endocrine immune mechanism seems to be the same in humans, based upon multiple, human blood tests that were performed.

The Achilles’ tendon of the medical world just might be the middle layer of the adrenal cortex and its production or lack of production of active cortisol.

There are so many unhappy environmental inputs that will adversely affect the production of normal amounts of cortisol, like genetics, aging, stress, toxins, anesthesia, vaccines, medicines, radiation, pesticides, improper diet including GMO foods, lack of exercise etc.

When any of these environmental inputs adversely affect the cortisol production, the hypothalamic-pituitary axis will respond with a continued production of ACTH which in turn, will cause the inner layer of the adrenal cortex to produce excessive amounts of estrogen and androgen.

The medical profession realizes the importance of estrogen and fear its increases because of the medical conditions the excess estrogen may cause. For further information please read Total Estrogen – Part 1 and Part 2.

What is also of interest, is that the medical professionals normally do not do a total estrogen test that includes adrenal estrogen.

The world and the medical professionals are beginning to realize that plant estrogens, referred to as phytoestrogens, may be adding to the estrogen flames. For further information please read New Information on the Quantities of Phytoestrogens in the Foods We Eat and Feed our Pets.

Chemical estrogens, referred to as xenoestrogens from plastics, household cleaning solutions, pesticides, etc. also fan the flames of estrogen. For further information please read Is Your Cookware And Other Household Items Killing You, Your Family And Your Pet? and Do Everyday Household Products Cause Major Diseases In People?

All the excess estrogen, whether it comes from inside of the body or outside of the body, may deregulate not only thyroid hormones but also the immune system, and when this occurs, the end affect will be allergies, autoimmunity and cancer.

For more information please read the article titled The Vicious Estrogenic Cycle.

Today’s medical world treats the EFFECTS of disease caused by this imbalance and usually not the CAUSE.

For further information for humans and pet owners, please read the information under GET HELP.

No matter what the effect may be, please always ask yourself, what is the CAUSE?

Hopefully this endocrine immune panel will allow you to find the CAUSE of your disease or the CAUSE of your pet’s disease, and provide a better treatment.

Sincerely,

Dr. AL Plechner