A friend of mine asked me to look at her daughter's Lyme tests, because she doesn't trust her pediatrician. I don't understand the tests, from what I read she is pos. for Lyme, but has been told she is neg.
Please help me. The results are from LabCorp.
One area of one test says: Lyme IgG/IgM 1.26 HIGH IgM 23 present
The next test says: Lyme IgG/IgM 1.25 HIGH (is this and the above 1.26 titers?)
If you need more info to help let me know. Thanks!
04/24/14 16:03 ET This document contains private and confidential health information protected by state and federal law. If you have received this document in error, please call 800−631−5250 LabCorp Laboratory Corporation of America Control Number 04/17/14 07:21 04/21/14 F 16/03/29 12/19/97 Date and Time Collected Date Reported Sex Age(Y/M/D) Date of Birth LabCorp Raritan 69 First Avenue Phone: 800−631−5250 Account Number Specimen Number Patient ID
Raritan, NJ 08869−1800 Patient Name TESTS RESULT FLAG UNITS REFERENCE INTERVAL LAB supplemental methods when necessary. Please contact HLA Customer Service at 1−800−533−1037 if you have any questions. Director of HLA Laboratory Dr George C Maha, PhD SPACE Antinuclear Antibodies Direct ANA Direct Negative Negative 01 SPACE 4 mm/hr 0 − 32 01 Sedimentation Rate−Westergren SPACE Lyme IgG/IgM Ab 1.25 High index 0.00 − 0.90 01 Negative <0.91 Equivocal 0.91 − 1.09 Positive >1.09 Note: The CDC currently advises that Western blot testing be performed following all equivocal or positive EIA results. Final diagnosis should include appropriate clinical findings and a positive EIA which is also positive by Western blot.
-------------------- j_liz Posts: 471 | From NJ | Registered: May 2009
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Lyme, Western Blot, Serum; Sedimentation Rate−Westergren; Lyme IgG/IgM Ab; Venipuncture General Comments ACC: 57938903 PID: TESTS RESULT FLAG UNITS REFERENCE INTERVAL LAB Lyme, Western Blot, Serum Lyme Ab IgG by WB: 01 IgG P93 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P66 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P58 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P45 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P41 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P39 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P30 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P28 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P23 Ab. Absent 01 IgG P18 Ab. Absent 01 Lyme IgG WB Interp. Negative 01 Positive: 5 of the following Borrelia−specific bands: 18,23,28,30,39,41,45,58, 66, and 93. Negative: No bands or banding patterns which do not meet positive criteria. Lyme Ab IgM by WB: 01 IgM P41 Ab. Absent 01 IgM P39 Ab. Absent 01 IgM P23 Ab. Present Abnormal 01 Lyme IgM WB Interp. Negative 01 Note: An equivocal or positive EIA result followed by a negative Western Blot result is considered NEGATIVE. An equivocal or positive EIA result followed by a positive Western Blot is considered POSITIVE by the CDC. Positive: 2 of the following bands: 23,39 or 41 Negative: No bands or banding patterns which do not meet positive criteria
Criteria for positivity are those recommended by CDC/ASTPHLD. p23=Osp C, p41=flagellin Note: Sera from individuals with the following may cross react in the Lyme Western Blot assays: other spirochetal diseases (periodontal disease, leptospirosis, relapsing fever, yaws, and pinta); connective autoimmune (Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and also individuals with Antinuclear Antibody); other infections (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; Epstein−Barr Virus, and Cytomegalovirus). SPACE 3 mm/hr 0 − 32 01 Sedimentation Rate−Westergren SPACE Lyme IgG/IgM Ab 1.26 High index 0.00 − 0.90 01 Negative <0.91 Equivocal 0.91 − 1.09 Positive >1.09 Note: The CDC currently advises that Western blot testing be performed following all equivocal or positive EIA results. Final diagnosis should include appropriate clinical findings and a positive EIA which is also positive by Western blot.
-------------------- j_liz Posts: 471 | From NJ | Registered: May 2009
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I hope that's not too confusing. I don't know how to post pics of it and not get the personal info. So, I copied/pasted.
-------------------- j_liz Posts: 471 | From NJ | Registered: May 2009
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
OK, so the patient had an ELISA (EIA) test which was positive through LabCorp.
So, then LabCorp is required to do a Western Blot which was only positive on IgM band 23.
According to mainstream medicine, this is a negative Western Blot. Case closed.
However, a lyme doctor would not be satisfied with this at all. Since the patient got a positive ELISA and a positive on a very important band on the Western Blot, a lyme doctor would try a course of lyme treatment.
Or, if the parent was unwilling, a lyme doctor would test again through Igenex which records more of the lyme bands. The patient could then get a positive Western Blot.
Also, a lyme doctor would test the patient for coinfections. If the child has any coinfections, that is additional proof of lyme disease. (These infections are found together, not alone.)
If this were my child, I would want a course of lyme treatment to see how the patient reacts. The positive ELISA and band 23 on the WB are "the smoking gun."
The child had exposure to lyme bacteria. Otherwise, they would not have gotten these results.
It is typical that the patient does not have enough positives from a LabCorp lyme test for a non-lyme specialist to diagnose lyme. But, if the patient has symptoms of lyme and the band 23 positive, a lyme doctor would treat for lyme.
You can read this in Dr. C's explanation of the Western Blot found here:
"In my clinical experience, if a patient has symptoms suspicious for borreliosis, and has one or more of the following bands, there is a very high probability the patient has borreliosis.
These bands are 18, 22, 23-25, 28, 30, 31, 34, 37, 39, 41, 83, and 93."
See this quote from page 7 of Burrascano, regarding how to diagnose lyme disease:
"DIAGNOSTIC HINTS
Lyme Borreliosis (LB) is diagnosed clinically, as no currently available test, no matter the source or type, is definitive in ruling in or ruling out infection with these pathogens, or whether these infections are responsible for the patient's symptoms. The entire clinical picture must be taken into account, ... .
Consideration should be given to tick exposure, rashes (even atypical ones), evolution of typical symptoms in a previously asymptomatic individual, and results of tests for tick-borne pathogens. Another very important factor is response to treatment- presence or absence of Jarisch Herxheimer-like reactions, the classic four-week cycle of waxing and waning of symptoms, and improvement with therapy." (Page 7)
See the very important last sentence. To make the diagnosis, you give the patient some treatment and observe their response.
I hope the parent is willing to do so. Otherwise, I do not expect this child to get better but rather worse.
God bless you for your concern and help for this child.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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Sammi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 110
posted
This person has a positive ELISA and band 23 on the Western Blot. Band 23 is a Lyme-specific band. Realize that labs such as Quest and LabCorp do not list all the Lyme-specific bands (31 and 34) that Igenex does.
These results are significant. This person should see a Lyme doctor and be evaluated for co-infections.
Posts: 4681 | Registered: Oct 2000
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I just had some blood work done as I've had chronic back pain for 5 years. Very sporadic, very painful (at times). Tried yoga, massages, chiropractor, nothing has worked. So I went to the doctor, had some imaging done which revealed some pars defects, spondylothesis (sp.), and some other minor things. My blood work on the other hand came back with the following:
IgG P41 Ab - PRESENT IgG P39 Ab - PRESENT IgM P23 Ab - PRESENT
Then it says, "3 antibodies present, high risk for possible lyme exposure. recommend follow up"
When I called to schedule follow-up, the nurse said it was nothing urgent and I can't be seen for a week. Is this something I should be worried about? Anyone have insight here with these antibodies?
-------------------- Nick Dokken Posts: 12 | From CA | Registered: Jul 2018
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