posted
Has anyone ever heard of the German LTT-MELISA test? If so, would it be effective here in the U.S. and for someone who has been on antibiotics for over a year now? Any research on the test?
GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
Yes, MELISA is excellent. Many test positive with LTT who have never before. Dr. K. himself was tested there and for the first time in many years had a positive. I am pretty certain that the German health insurance recognizes and pays for the tests.
Contact them -
The MELISA heavy metal tests are just as important.
The LTT (lymphocite transformation test) done in Berlin (and Karlsruhe)as described below is not the same test as the MELISA LTT as discussed on www.MELISA.org
Take care.
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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The German LLMDs use this test quite alot, as extra back-up after doing ELISAs and WBs. It checks for Borrelia specific T-Lymphocytes in the blood, and they use it to show "active" Lyme.
I've had two LTTs done in Germany, requested by two different very well known LLMDs there, and carried out in two different specialist labs with different results!!!Most German docs would dismiss the LTT as non- standard - it is no longer covered by German health insurance (which didn't apply to me anyway!),and costs about �200 or $270 . It takes 3 weeks to process, and it is strongly recommended that one is antibiotic free for at least 6 -8 weeks before doing the test. The results vary alot from lab to lab. It is also recommended that one travels to the lab to have the blood taken to ensure the sample is as fresh as possible to yield an accurate result.
The first one I had done was in March 2005. The LLMD sent the blood by courier to a lab in Berlin, so it was there 24 hours later. I was abx free for 8 weeks at the time. The result was equivocal.
The second one I had done in September 2005 was positive. This time I attended a prominent Lyme Literate Neurologist in Bonn. He said, in his experience, results from Berlin were not as accurate as they should be, as there was a delay in getting the blood to them. This time I travelled to the lab in Cologne (the same lab that is considered number one for WBs). I had the blood taken there and it was processed immediately without delay to ensure freshness and accuracy. The result was positive. Also, I was abx free for 12 weeks at this stage, so that could also have been a factor.
I had a huge battle trying to get a German PCP to accept the result,to get 6 weeks IV Rocephin, even though I was paying privately. My US LLMDs (first Dr.B and now Dr.H) said it is an antiquated test method, and most docs in the US never heard of it........although, at the end of the day, a positive result does show Lyme!
Hope this helps
Elaine
Posts: 261 | From Herx-ville!! | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
The German LLMDs and labs doing the LTTs told me if you have the test done while taking abx, or too soon after stopping, it can produce false positive results...
Posts: 261 | From Herx-ville!! | Registered: Aug 2006
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