Labrat:: glad you are looking into this, more info in post

I am glad you are interested, I am continuing to do research, maybe we can figure something out.

The Wiki article says "Further, chitinase activity can be detected systemically in humans, in the blood.[9][10][10] and possibly cartilage [11]. This is related, as is plant chitinase activity, to inflammation/pathogen resistance.

My understanding is that chitinase is an enzyme that degrades chitin. Chitin is a glycoprotein (?) that protects pathogens. If the chitin is broken down then the immune system can attack.

In reference to your article, I remember one of the main theories about asthma is pathogenic involvement, and there is a yeast or fungus that has been implicated in it. By brother abolished asthma via using ozone (breathed in thru a filter so the ozone would not damage the lungs). Ozone will kill pathogens via oxidation. So if asthma is caused by a pathogen then it would make sense that chitinase is showing up in the blood stream.

What has been interesting is a friend who has tested positive for protozoa has been using avocados for sometime and keeps telling me how much better he feels, then within the last day or two he told me he has been using papaya seeds, and reports he is feeling better ( he had no idea about chitinase). Well it turns out that avocados are also high in chitinase. So there must be something to this.

Another interesting article talks about other bacteria that are 'Chitinivorous organisms' meaning that they eat the chitin. Some of these organisms are pathogenic so I will look at organisms that are not pathogenic that would be chitinivorous.

I have posted about beneficial e-coli in that it is the primary probiotic in the gut, without it, it is difficult for other probiotics to take hold. I have had a few theories on this. I am wondering if e coli is not a chitinivorous organism and the protozoa have defense mechanisms with these to eliminate them. Just a theory so far. Most people with these nasty infections show little or no beneficial e coli.