By: Glen
As a Scientist and a Patient with Cryoglobulinemia this is how I would first start with cryocrit in saline at various concentrations and show that concentration does affect precipitation temperature. Getting good controls on this may be more difficult than one might think because getting large amounts of cryoglobulins may be difficult, and the relative properties of different types of cryoglobulins from different individuals are not that well known.
The next step might be to test for precipitation temperature with cryoglobulins in blood plasma. Again , the same problems with controls and availability apply.
It may be possible to get large amounts of cryoglobulins from cows’s milk… from ONE cow….. so that one *could* use the same cryocrit forthe tests. If bovine cryoglobulins are used one then has the problem of showing that human cryoglobulins exhibit the same behavior. I have recently read that cows milk contains cold aglutins, and some seem to be raising the question of cryoglobulins being present in cows milk at
all…. so cows milk may, or may not be all that useful.
From there one needs to show that individuals with cryo DO react at different cold exposure levels. Also, the fact that at some point, the conditions worsen at room temperature needs to be shown. It also needs to be shown that individuals experience a variation in precipitation temps for cyoglobulins. Getting proof of in-vivio cryoglobulin behaviors will be difficult, at best. I do think that starting with cryoglobulins in saline might be the “best” place to start.
I do not know how one might monittor cryoglobulin levels from before a flare, through a flare, and after remission, but the ability to do so might produce interesting results, even in a small group. I still say… If fish have cryoglobulins why don’t they have cryoglobulinemia ? Also, what about frogs ?
Addendum: It just occurred to me. It might not be a gigantic technological leap for a molecular biologist to modify a microorganism to reproduce cryoglobulins. This is outside of my realm, but having met some of these people in years passed, I do know that it is not so difficult a thing as some might believe.
