LymeNet Flash: FISH test from Igenex....question

This is topic FISH test from Igenex....question in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by pippy (Member # 6005) on :

This may have been asked and answered before but: if a person is neg on IGG/IGM for babesia
could the FISH test be better at detecting
babesia.
The reason this is so important is that my LLMD is really pushing babesia treatment almost to the exclusion of my lyme right now. The mepron is really hard to take as far as side effects so I want to be sure I have babesia.

also, If anyone has had it show up with this test after neg antibody tests please let me know

Posted by mjbucuk (Member # 843) on :

Last year my son was negative on all testing EXCEPT for the FISH test. We have repeated all bloodwork just recently... and are only waiting for the FISH results. So far all tests have been negative this time.

Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :

There are multiple kinds of babesia and only tests for two of them.

Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :

Hi Pippy -

I had two negative whole blood tests...one was through IgeneX but the simultaneous FISH test they ran on the same sample of blood was Very Positive.

I recommend the FISH test from my personal experience.

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"If I can stop one/Heart from breaking/I shall not live in vain/If I can ease one Life the Aching/Or cool one Pain/Or help one fainting Robin/Unto his Nest again/I Shall not live in Vain." Emily Dickinson

Posted by Luthien (Member # 7132) on :

Hi,

If you've been on medication, can you still do the FISH test and get accurate results?

Posted by ConnieMc (Member # 191) on :

All my other testing for Babs was neg. As a result, I went for several years untreated. Then I had the FISH test and tested positive. Once I started treatment, I did so much better. I still test positive now in spite of lots of treatment. IMO, Babs isn't always cured.

Apparently, the FISH tests for a different strain than the others.

Wondering how many who respond to this post manage to beat Babs completely. I manage to keep it under control with periodic courses of Mepron and Zith, or something similar. But Artemisinin also seems to help lots. I have been taking that consistently. with short breaks, for a nunber of months.

Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :

I was positive IgG babs western blot by MDL in 2001. never treated.

THis year I had all Igenex testing for babs come out negative including FISH. LLMD still says babs needs to be treated.

Pippy,I know your LLMD is on a big kick to treat babs before continuing to lyme even of all tests come out neg...I have several friends that are in this situation with that LLMD. THey are very concerned that they dont have babs. I am not sure why this is the new protocol: treat babs no matter what the tests are. ANyone know?

I dont have the same LLMD as you pippy, but I know yours. And mine is doing the same as yours is: treating babs no matter what the tests say.
???
Trails

Posted by riversinger (Member # 4851) on :

I think the last ILADS conference really emphasized how many patients have seronegative babesia. This particular doctor has really pushed treating babesia ever since he attended that conference.

This has been very good for the people who needed to be treated. But every person is different. No doctor is always right. The trick is to know when to go ahead with a treatment, and when to hold back.

I personally gave the babesia protocol a try, but eeverything in me rebelled. I also didn't do well on it, but it's hard to go by that, because people always feel miserable on it.

All I can say, is I stuck it out for six weeks on Mepron, then quit. Before that I had done months of Artemesinin and other things to work up to the Mepron. It may have been long enough to do me some good, I'm not sure.

But I am SO MUCH better after changing my treatment protocols. Treating babesia is the only protocol I have regretted doing. It was that bad, and I really can't say I felt any improvement.

It took a couple of months to get back to where I was before trying to treat babesia.

I know, pippy, you are really trying to make a hard decision. So many people found treating babesia was the big answer for them. It could be for you, as well, for all we know.

BTW, I did do the FISH test, and was negative on that, along with every other possible babesia test that could be done. So maybe doing the testing would help in making your decision?

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Sonoma County Lyme Support
[email protected]

Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :

Don't think you can rely entirely on test results. As I said before, they are still finding new species of babs, both here and elsewhere in the world. As one example, see this report:

Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Apr;10(4):622-9. Related Articles, Links

Babesia divergens-like infection, Washington State.

Herwaldt BL, de Bruyn G, Pieniazek NJ, Homer M, Lofy KH, Slemenda SB, Fritsche TR, Persing DH, Limaye AP.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Most reported U.S. zoonotic cases of babesiosis have occurred in the Northeast and been caused by Babesia microti. In Washington State, three cases of babesiosis have been reported previously, which were caused by WA1 (for "Washington 1")-type parasites. We investigated a case of babesiosis in Washington in an 82-year-old man whose spleen had been removed and whose parasitemia level was 41.4%. The complete 18S ribosomal RNA gene of the parasite was amplified from specimens of his whole blood by polymerase chain reaction. Phylogenetic analysis showed the parasite is most closely related, but not identical, to B. divergens (similarity score, 99.5%), a bovine parasite in Europe. By indirect fluorescent-antibody testing, his serum reacted to B. divergens but not to B. microti or WA1 antigens. This case demonstrates that babesiosis can be caused by novel parasites detectable by manual examination of blood smears but not by serologic or molecular testing for B. microti or WA1-type parasites.

PMID: 15200851 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Posted by KeyLymePie (Member # 7434) on :

Just to note: I tested negative for Babs on both IgG and IgM antibodies from Igenex but tested positive on the FISH test.

My doc thinks that's enough to go ahead and treat - and wants to use Zith/Artemisinin combo. Haven't tried it yet.

Posted by Laurie (Member # 159) on :

Altho my symptoms screeched, screamed and hollered "babesia" I tested neg a few years ago by Yale -- don't recall which lab they used but it wasn't their own. Just this year I tested borderline positive titer by Igenex with negative FISH. I went with it, did 4 months Mepron/Zith then several months Mallarone. Last month tested negative titer, positive FISH. Doc wants me back on the (UGH) Mepron. I agree I probably have it. But a friend of mine tested negative numerous times, doesn't even really have babs symptoms and this same doc wants her to do the treatment as well. So I think it must be something they learned at ILADS meetings.