Julie,

I think if you had had better results on the diets you would feel differently, all I can say is that after 16 years of repeatedly learning eat that and die within 6-18 hours, it works for me and I am grateful of that, and it is worth telling folks about because a bit of self control can save a whole load of pain and trouble. Same with NSAIDs.
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There are some holes in the original work ie B27-ve will develop Chron's and +ve will develop AS......well.....but proposing Asulphazine etc great.......and why? That's impotant because many have improved on sulphazine and the diet.
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Other groups have found kleb infections and other gram neg bugs.......esp in the countries where AS research seems to be advanced....but we will leave that out as it is contentious...... I reckon half of that is typical follow the establishment the earth is flat so the earth will be flat...
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Even the GI Dr.s now say that gut inflammation and bowel flora are linked, a few years ago (2) they stated it was an unknown cause and like asthma.......and 10-20 years ago caused by anxiety etc.....even the latest GI said she was aware of starch and IBD/AS and had heard it from some patients but she could n;t understand why it helped and it could n;t be substantiated........I can talk about probiotics as well they have some help but not enough to be fantastic successful, some IBDers actually flar eon probiotics......
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Reasoning:

Only 60% of ASers and Spa have microscopic or worse bowel inflammation.......so that may be where the other Gram negatives infections come into my thinking.

Of course we have slightly different forms of the disease and likely causes, but looking around research sites where Gram-Negaitive bugs have been used for genetic therapies in bladder cancer you have previously non-arhtritic patients getting SpA, ............I ask you as a ReA'er give a group of people a shot of modified BCG vaccine into the bladder and wonder why a percentage get SpA........BCG is a TB vaccine.......TB is a gram neg......so i would not expect a starch reduction diet to help that really....I'm actually suprised a number do not get Chron's....
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I think the big problem is that researchers are trying to group everyone into the same disease bracket when in fact there are distinct sub-types.......and we know that some here have celaics and others have lactose issues esp in chron's.............others rid themselves of Kleb and then spike on some of the others........that meat muncher...etc
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I've found some good stuff on the research by some of the top guys looking at IBD esp colitis and they are getting real close to what is happening in colitis type disease. that may well help us as a group fantstically........

There was one theory on liposacharides (?) an enzyeme that the gram negatives produce, that might be causing the immune response and "David Yu" reckons that is not possible for that to be the cause, but something that affects the expression of a certain protein involved in immune regualtion....I'll see if I can find it.
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The other genes now implicated in AS include the NOD/CARD for IBD and one called ANK.......that may be why some get AS as opposed to SpA......as it controls how bone is released and retaken up in the body.
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Sorry for writing a book and being a bit tetchy, but the proof I have is so strong, over 16 years, .....it works for me and it ain't a placebo effect. I'm only sorry it has n''t helped you as much! but I beleive Erbringer says it helps some of the other SpA's pateints......

David