My Lyme Dr. is new to the Labcorp CD-57 and he thinks my score of 64 is good because it's within range.
What do your Dr's shoot for??? Isn't it closer to 200?
I read Burrascano's guides and it is a little confusing.
Thanks! I just full of questions today.
Posted by Rianna (Member # 11038) on :
HNK-1 Panel (CD-57)
The CD-57 count can be used to help determine how active the Lyme infection is, how well the treatment is working, and whether, after treatment ends, a relapse is likely to occur. Patients who do not have Lyme have counts above >180.
It can be important to use this diagnostic test as a marker to determine how well a treatment is working or if a relapse has occurred.
The Lyme spirochete is able to impact a specific subset (the CD-57 subset) of the natural killer cells. When Lyme is active, the CD-57 count is suppressed. At this point, we believe that only Borrelia can affect the CD-57 count in this way, a sick patient with a high CD-57 is probably ill with something other than Lyme, such as a co-infection.
Test interpretation: Above >180 is normal Above > 60 Lyme activity indicates improvement and treatment response 0-60 Chronic Lyme disease or relapse Below < 20 Severe illness
Low CD57 occurs in chronic Lyme or when the disease has been active for over 1 year. The count reflects the degree of infection or treatment response. It is not a diagnostic test but is used as marker for Lyme during treatment.
Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :
is it possible to get back to >180 when you've been down around
20?
Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
Yes, Adamm, it's possible! I'm so sorry your CD57 count was 20. Hang-in there. OK?
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The CD 57 count is used as a SCREENER to help diagnose Lyme. It is specific to Lyme. It shows how much your immune system has been worn down with regards to Lyme.
In fact, my CD57 count of 44 was what got my meds paid for by insurance, because 3 separate western blots for Lyme were negative.
Some LLMD's use a CD57 count to gauge treatment success. But that can be tricky and it's only one factor to consider.
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vjb wrote: "My case -near death .Have pozitive IGENEX-and all co-infections and cd 57 is 91 ."
How awful for you. I hope you have a good LLMD to help you.
Which coinfections do you have????????
It takes a long time to treat Lyme and coinfections. Stay with it. OK?
daise Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
Why is the CD 57 specific to Lyme ONLY? Can someone explain this? I dont get it
Posted by Larkspur (Member # 5131) on :
My CD57 4 1/2 years ago was 16
2 years later it was in the 40's
Now it's 24 .
Rats
And yes, I don't feel well Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
I have been sick close to a year now. Just had a cd 57 done a few weeks ago for the first time, it was 56. 1 year into treatment.
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it.
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
my CD-57 was 90 after 4weeks of treatment. I haven't tested again.
Feelfit
Posted by Blackstone (Member # 9453) on :
When we checked a year or so ago, my CD57 was over 200.
I'm still sick, or at least not as well as I'd like to be. So, I'm still now sure what the problem is.
I should probably have it checked again just to make sure.
Posted by KauaiGoddess (Member # 11782) on :
Aloha,
my CD57 is at 26...
after 10 months of treatment...
thanks for posting this question...~
hugs, Fawne
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
Blackstone usually when the CD 57 is very high like yours and you are still ill it means unresolved co-infections.
I don't think that I mentioned that I am over 2 years into treatment and haven't tested for any coinfections and I have no symptoms of co-infections. I was infected about 30 years ago, though so it will take me longer to get well.
My Dr. used to use Quest for CD-57 and I started at a 10 amost 2 years ago and sort of bounced since then. My Dr. uses it as a "Lyme Marker". He will continue to test after remission to anticipate relapse.
Dr. Burrascano says that typically the CD-57 will not gradually increase but will sort of hover (not his words) and then when close to remission or at remission it shoots up.
Thanks again for all the replies.
AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER.
I am having a small family party (total of 10) but my hubby cooks and my 20 year old helps. I am watching my sister's dogs and they woke me up at 6:00 a.m. so somehow I'm going to have to get a nap in before company!!!
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
I'd like to point out that not every LLMD is in agreement about the significance of CD 57.
Part of the reason for this is that there are some people who have Lyme with normal CD 57 counts.
There are some LLMDs that say if your CD 57 is below about 20, it could be a sign that you have Babesia in addition to Lyme(since Babs is also a powerful immune suppressor).
For some people, it just doesn't seem to work that well as a marker for how the disease is progressing. While for others, like myself, it seems to provide good clues as to how your doing.
My own CD 57 count is anywhere from 2-22. And although my neck hurts alot, some arthitis and gastro stuff, I do not consider myself "severly" ill. I work about 26 hours a week and still walk almost every day.
Anyway, just be aware that there is still a lot not understood about CD 57
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Amanda: I'd like to point out that not every LLMD is in agreement about the significance of CD 57.
Exactly.
Posted by Blackstone (Member # 9453) on :
quote:Originally posted by mojo: Blackstone usually when the CD 57 is very high like yours and you are still ill it means unresolved co-infections.
I don't think that I mentioned that I am over 2 years into treatment and haven't tested for any coinfections and I have no symptoms of co-infections. I was infected about 30 years ago, though so it will take me longer to get well.
My Dr. used to use Quest for CD-57 and I started at a 10 amost 2 years ago and sort of bounced since then. My Dr. uses it as a "Lyme Marker". He will continue to test after remission to anticipate relapse.
Dr. Burrascano says that typically the CD-57 will not gradually increase but will sort of hover (not his words) and then when close to remission or at remission it shoots up.
Thanks again for all the replies.
AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER.
I am having a small family party (total of 10) but my hubby cooks and my 20 year old helps. I am watching my sister's dogs and they woke me up at 6:00 a.m. so somehow I'm going to have to get a nap in before company!!!
Happy Easter to you too!
I've heard the theory that 200 (or ~250 in my case) is indicative of co-infections as well, but we're not sure what is "left". Way back at the start of my diagnosis I came up Babesia positive (WA-1) from IgeneX, but every subsequent test has been negative. I've taken mepron/zith and alinia/zith at different times during my treatment to handle that.
Bartonella, I tested negative for on the 3 major strains, and had a negative Fry Labs test as well (also, didn't show any Babesia). I also took some Bactrim DS just for the heck of it for awhile, which my LLMDs agree tends to "hit" bart.
I've actually been on nothing but Niacin for awhile, and off antibiotics. The only clear positive I have is a slight hypercoagulation issue, but that is what my doc has given me niacin for. There's a lot more history going on but I'll save that for another post.
Anyway, I'll get my CD57 rechecked in my next batch of bloodwork.
Posted by Alias24 (Member # 9365) on :
My LLMD does the Natural Killer Cell Functional Assay test with Focus Diagnostics. I think this is the same thing as Labcorp's CD-57?
My test results came back at 6 in the fall of 2007. In the fall of 2006 the results were 5 using a different testing company. The top score is 300.
Using Burrascano's guidelines with these test results, I was going to relapse when I stopped antibiotics in December and sure enough, I did relapse.
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