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Originally posted by bettyg:
mainly used to show INFLAMMATION in body...

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Really? That's the first time I've heard that. I know it's not really a good indicator of how lyme is doing. So it's really an iffy test altogether.

If it shows inflammation and my score was only 9, then wow. I don't even know where I'd be inflamed.
 

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Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
 
Cd-57 doesn't measure iflamation, C-Reactive protien does.

CD-57 indicates some sort of immune response to Lyme. Some are questioning how accurate an indicator it really is as those with higher CD-57 #'s are often sicker and visa-versa.
 

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Posted by MaryL (Member # 11997) on :
 
I heard from Dr. C. in MO that CD-57 measures the exact count of certain antibodies in the blood.

A count under 60 according to Dr. B. is indicative that one may have "chronic" lyme. It is also used to predict a certain set-point where one may have best results from recovering from chronic lyme. Over 60 & you may be in the running for full recovery.

I had mine tested to find out if I was at the end stage of treatment - as I suspected I was over 60 & felt reasonably comfortable in discontinuing treatment. That is what Dr. B. uses it for.

My understanding is that when you have chronic lyme your immune system is compromised & you don't have sufficient "resources" to battle the disease. That's why we stay sick. Once we have enough white cells, our body does a better job of battling the infection.
 

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Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
 
hi there; i always get cd57 and CRP mixed around! geez

went to my detailed notes from my 4-06 visit to llmd, and copying here what i was given explaining this.....


With enclosure from Dr. B explaining CD57, natural killer function. "Used to help determine how ACTIVE THE INFECTION IS, how well the treatment is working, and whether after treatment ends, a relapse is likely to occur! This is how it works!

Chronic Lyme infections are known to suppress the immune system. The lyme spirochete can affect ALL MAJOR CELL TYPES of the immune system, but it most clearly can impact a specific subset of the natural killer cells. This is called the CD-57 subset.

Just as in HIV infection, which suppresses T-Cell counts, lyme suppresses killer cell counts. As in HIV infection, where abnormally low T-Cell counts are routinely used as a marker of how active the infection is, in lyme, we can use the CD-57 count to indicate how active the lyme infection is.

When lyme is ACTIVE, the CD57 count is suppressed. We currently are having our tests run by LAB CORP, a SPECIFIC CALIFORNIA BRANCH OF LAB CORP RUNS THIS TEST.

At this lab, the expected range for the CD57 count is ABOVE 60.

In my experience, those who do NOT have lyme, or those who are CURED of their infection, typically have counts ABOVE 180!

However, in the chronic lyme patient, CD57 counts are usually WELL BELOW 60.

This test can be run a the start of therapy, then EVERY SEVERAL MONTHS to document the effectiveness of treatment. One hopes to see a rising trend over time.

When antibiotic therapy is finally at an END, if the CD57 count is NOT in the normal range, than a lyme relapse is MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR.

Because at this point, we believe that only BORRELIA will affect the CD57 this way, a sick patient with a HIGH CD57, is probably ill with SOMETHING OTHER THAN LYME, SUCH AS A CO-INFECTION.

BEFORE you have a CD57 test run, BE SURE IT WILL BE SENT TO THE PROPER BRANCH OF LAB CORP. Otherwise, they probably will do the WRONG TEST, wasting your MONEY AND TIME!
 

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Posted by Draba (Member # 14589) on :
 
Thanks!!! That helps. I think my count was somewhere around 23. We had already figured out that I had lyme based on my symptoms.

-Draba
 

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