Can someone please explain to me what indeterminate means on the bands. I understand the + or ++ etc. It would seem to me that there is either something there or not.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
"If enough of the complexes are formed, eventually it may be seen with the naked eye as a dark band. - Band intensity reflects how dark or wide it is. Controversy exists about band intensity.
Many would say the " +/-" equivocal ["IND"] bands are not significant. The problem I have with that, is that there are "-" negative bands. The lab has no trouble calling some bands negative. So they must be seeing something when they put "+/-" at some bands.
The only thing that makes sense, is that there is a little bit of that antibody present in your serum. If the "+/-" equivocal is reported on the borrelia associated bands, it is usually significant, in my clinical experience. This is a strong clue that I am on the right track."
My LLMD would call an indeterminate band a positive band. If something is seen and the lab can't call it negative, she would consider that they saw some reaction to the antibodies.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
i had alot of the inter...and then mostly two ++...
the doctor said borderline...but to me with my symptoms, it was lyme...
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
I would agree, that there was something there to cause an indeterminate band, so to me, it's another indication of positive.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
In ILADs speak, it would mean most likely positive. In the land of allopathic, it means negative. The correct diagnosis for lyme is a clinical one anyway, so these tests don't really matter. I never got hung up on them (positive or negative). I just treated.
Posted by Crawgir1 (Member # 40229) on :
My LLMD said that IGenX got into trouble for calling too many positive bands, and so when the positive is low, they label it indeterminate.
Posted by JLM (Member # 40747) on :
Thank you everyone! It takes awhile to get the hang of what all of this means and it's significance or insignificance.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- In addition to others' good replies some links for your reference file.
While I agree that (along with symptoms) "indeterminate" is a positive marker as it is reading something that is there, see all the considerations with testing and issues that can keep a test from being the best it can be:
WHY you need an ILADS "educated" or "minded" Lyme Literate doctor (whether MD or ND, or both) - starting with assessment / evaluation. -
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
is it sort of like being a little pregnant???
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
At the U of New Haven Lyme Conference a few weeks ago, Dr. J S of Igenex said that with the indeterminate (+/-) bands, it meant that one person saw it as +, and one saw it as -.
I agree, it IS like being "a little bit pregnant!"