OK, I know how to look up the bands that are marked with the asterisks, but IF they have asterisks, then why are they negative (-), indeterminate (IND)+, ++, or +++ ? I have never looked at an IgeneX test result before.....
IGG Result negative CDC/NYS Result negative **23-25 kDa - **31 kDa - **34 kDa - **39 kDa IND **41 kDa - **83-93 kDa -
IGM Result positive CDC/NYS Result negative **23-25 kDa - **31 kDa ++ **34 kDa + **39 kDa IND **41 kDa +++ **83-93 kDa IND
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I should know this backwards and forwards, so anyone is welcome to correct me if I get this wrong!
The starred bands are the Lyme specific bands. You can come up negative, positive, or IND on any one of those bands.
Tiffany, near the top of Medical Questions is a post called "Dr. C's Western Blot Explanation." It would be good if you read the entire explanation of how to interpret your Western Blot test results.
Here is a quote from Dr. C's explanation:
"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.
This is true regardless of whether it is IgG or IgM.. "
Dr. C also says that an IND (indeterminate) is to be treated as a weak positive result.
So, you have positives on bands 31, 34, 39, 41, and 83-93 according to Dr. C. (You look at both IgG and IgM and just record all the positives and the INDs.)
That is 5 positives on the important lyme-specific bands, according to Dr. C.
To show HOW MUCH your blood responded positively to the test, they show either one, two, three, or four plus signs. Four plus signs is an extremely strong positive response, in other words. So, you had a fairly strong positive response to band 31 and a really strong positive response to 41.
Posted by Tif (Member # 12701) on :
Thanks, the + and ++ is what I was wondering the most about, but the ** being the significant bands explains a lot.......
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Tiffany did you get this good result after a trial of treatment or no treatment at all. Thanks.
Posted by Nicole_Denise (Member # 20620) on :
Hi Tiff,
+ means that your bands were just as strong as the reference, ++ means they were stronger.
And * or ** starred bands mean more than other bands, even if they are just IND.
Your IgM was positive by Igenex/LLMD standards, even though it was negative by CDC bands.
Posted by Tif (Member # 12701) on :
Thanks........I have been in treatment for two years. This is a test that I insisted one of my good friends have done.........she did do a couple weeks of doxy and flagyl (I referred her somewhere I knew she could get something short term), then I told her to wait the recommended 10 to 14 days (off abx) before testing.
I haven't ever had an IgeneX test which is why I was asking all the ?'s about *, ++, +, etc.
I had positive bands on a LabCorp test a couple years ago.........I may do an IgeneX test just to see how it comes out.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Thanks that helps many who may question the wait. It could make a big difference.