The Chemical Intolerance Research Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio works to expand treatment options for people sickened by low-level chemical exposures and to discover the mechanisms underlying this devastating condition. As the only program of its kind that is based in a tier-one academic medical center, UT Health San Antonio has a key role in providing credible resources for patients and healthcare providers.  

Research – UT Health San Antonio researchers developed the leading questionnaire for assessing chemical intolerance. The Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) is used worldwide to identify cases and measure the severity and life impact of chemical intolerances. They developed and published new screening instrument, the Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI). Accurately predicting chemical intolerance with just three questions, the BREESI is useful in research and clinical settings. Recently, they sampled over 10,000 people and found that 1 in 5 reported chemical intolerance in this U.S.-based study. Ongoing research projects involve epidemiology, indoor air quality, and biomedical studies seeking targets for treatment.

Outreach and Education – The program’s website provides open access to a variety of resources for patients, clinicians and researchers. Understandable videos introduce key concepts and perspectives. Scientific resources are posted, such as the authoritative text, Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes, which is free to download on the site. Precautionary guidance based on recent science promotes prevention. The website also describes Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance, which discusses how many patients report new onset intolerances after a memorable exposure. This is also described in another recent publication comparing eight major exposure events where similar patterns emerged, further suggesting that chemical intolerance is may be an acquired condition. The program regularly posts relevant information to social media, a blog, and a listserve.

Patient Care – The Hoffman Physician Champions are faculty members and residents of the UT Health San Antonio Department of Family and Community Medicine. The Department has established a clinic to see patients with chemical intolerance. They provide direct care while developing best practices for diagnosing, treating, and supporting patients. The program has created a range of materials to aid these champions, such as the simple guide, 7 Steps to Creating a Clean Air Oasis which is also available in Spanish. This guide and many of the program’s other materials are created in both Spanish and English for use with diverse populations. The clinic, based in one of the Nation’s leading Family and Community Medicine departments, is a significant step toward ending the stigma that people with chemical intolerance experience when they seek help.

The Danish Study of Functional Disorders (DanFunD) is the world’s largest general population-based study of functional somatic syndromes.

The Danish Study of Functional Disorders (DanFunD) is the first major longitudinal population-based study worldwide in the field of what is commonly referred to as functional disorders, functional somatic syndromes or medically unexplained illnesses. During the last 70 years, large scale epidemiological studies (e.g. Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts) have successfully disentangled the epidemiology of other chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. With nearly 10,000 adult Danes examined, DanFunD represents the world’s largest epidemiological initiative dedicated to study Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and related diseases in a translational and unbiased setting.

The DanFunD study is supervised by an interdisciplinary steering committee that represents disciplines such as public health science, social medicine, psychiatry, psychology, human systems biology and immunology. On a daily level, the project is led by Principal Investigator Professor Torben Joergensen and project manager Dr. Thomas Dantoft. Research aims include:

Based on physiological or biochemical measures, to investigate if persons with MCS

• have different autonomic nervous system regulation during rest and during stress (controlled deep breathing) compared to healthy controls;

• have higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers compared to healthy controls;

• perform differently (worse or better) during a health examination (fitness levels, lung capacity, muscle strength, blood pressure, BMI etc.) compared to healthy controls;

• have different biomarker profiles (blood glucose, cholesterol, insulin etc.) compared to healthy controls.

Describe the medical history of the persons with MCS and estimate the economic cost using data from Danish National Central Registries (comorbidities, hospitalizations, use of medical specialists). Healthcare cost related to MCS will be compared to both healthy individuals and to patients with other types of chronic diseases.

Investigate if persons with MCS have different social profiles compared to healthy participants by looking at factors such as education (using detailed information about education from lower level primary to postgrad), current and former occupational status and type of occupation, cohabitation and type of housing.

Utilizing data collected as part of a 5-years follow-up reexamination of the entire cohort, calculate incidence and remission rate of MCS, i.e. how many participants have develop MCS during the 5 years between the two examinations and how many no longer have MCS 5-years after? The follow-up study will also provide a unique opportunity to identify various risk factors for developing MCS.

In 2019, the MBH Foundation brought together a diverse group of experts to assess current understandings of chemical intolerance and share new research on MCS. Over the course of the symposium, experts discussed the prevalence of MCS and its risk factors; shared research on the fundamental causes of acquired sensitivity to chemicals, mold, and other toxicants; and devised strategies for studying the exposures and mechanisms that give rise to MCS. Abstracts and presenter biosketches are available. A manuscript is in development to summarize and expand upon the topics, researchers, and conclusions from this symposium.

All MCS grants are by invitation only. The MBH Foundation is developing a grants program for rigorous basic and clinical research on MCS. To be added to the distribution list for future announcements, please contact us.