I've been around the block a few times, but some of these results have me baffled. And don't ask...the doc was useless. He did not offer me satisfactory answers, nor an appropriate treatment regimen.
Anyway, if you all could help, I sure would appreciate it! Thanks!
Quest lab results and normal ranges
C3A desarg fragment 42 L .... 55-486
Thrombin/ Antithrombin TAT 7.2 H .... < 4
VEGF Elisa Vascular Endothelial GF 218 H .... 31-86
Insulin, Serum 46 H .... <23 and oddly, on the same date a nml result Insulin, Serum 5 .... <23
I also tested positive for one copy of A1298C and one copy of C677T gene mutations, and my homocysteine is elevated.
Here are my WB results. I know they indicate Lyme.
Igenex WB:
IgM:
31 IND 41 + 58 +
IgG:
31 + 39 + 41 +++ 58 +
Quest WB:
IgM:
23 Reactive
IgG:
41 Reactive
[ 11-15-2013, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: beaches ]
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Your IGeneX IgG results are very strong - strong 41 response and 3 other Lyme bands. A lighter IGeneX IgM response but still a Lyme response.
Interesting that the Quest test picked up yet another Lyme band, the 23 one.
I bet you already knew you have Lyme!
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Beaches-I agree about the Igenex WB as being positive by ILADS docs definition. The bands are borrelia specific. (except 41, but combined with the other bands-yes)
The rest of your test results...well I'm scratching my head here..it's like Clingon speak to me! Posted by beaches (Member # 38251) on :
Hi Robin, yes I know the Igenex IgG results are strong and it is pretty strange that Quest actually picked up IgM band 23--both were drawn the same day!
Yes, I know I have Lyme lol. And Greta, the reason I really posted was to get input on those other results. Yeah, I've been scratching my head too.
I edited the post so that the WB results are at the bottom instead of the top. Hoping someone here can tell me a thing or two.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Except for finding band 23 (good!), this shows how lame Quest is.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
The one thing that sticks out that I know something about -- VEGF -- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. That is sometimes elevated with a bartonella infection.
The thrombin antithrombin complex (TAT) and I think the plasminogen activator inhibitor are both different measures of clotting activity. Not sure, but I think both indicate that you have hypercoagulation -- your blood is too thick and clots too quickly. This could be due to any of the tickborne diseases I think.
Were both C3A and C4A tested? I think both are different measures of inflammation in regards to the complement part of the immune system. Actually a low number means lack of inflammation. But the immune system is incredibly complex and there are so many different measures.
Bea Seibert
[ 11-15-2013, 06:28 PM: Message edited by: seibertneurolyme ]
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
There are at 2 different plasminogen activator inhibitors -- type 1 and type 2. See the link below. Apparently type 1 can be elevated in certain genetic clotting problems. You need to know if that is what was actually tested or not.
It also looks like this test is very sensitive to collection procedures -- so as I always suggest when getting abnormal test results -- I would request a repeat test.
I also looked at Wikipedia and it looks like type 2 is only related to pregnancy so you probably did have type 1 tested.
Bea Seibert
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
The Cd57 etc numbers are from the CD57 panel tests -- but I think the important number is the absolute number of CD57 cells -- you did not list that number. I don't think the percentage numbers mean a whole lot.
LT, yep Quest is pretty lame. Wondering when labs will figure out that all bands should be reported and understand which ones are specific to Lyme. Thanks for the link.
Bea, thanks for all the info. Here are more results from the CD57 panel:
nml range
CD57+/CD3- cells/uL 117 …. 20 - 258
CD57+/CD3-/CD8- cells/uL 57 …. 20 - 114
CD57+/CD8- cells/uL 54 …. 20 - 248
So, yes these are all normal as were the others in that panel. The two that were abnormal weren't too far out of range either, so I'm guessing they're not very clinically significant.
The C4A was pending, and so of course I don't have that result. Do you think that C3A and "C3A desarg fragment" are the same thing? I have never heard of "desarg fragment."
I am familiar with C3 and C4 complement levels and not sure how they are related to C3A and C4A. I know that when C3 and C4 are low, it is an indication of autoimmune disease activity, which can mean significant inflammation.
The complement/immune system is incredibly complex as you say. One immunologist told me that they don't even understand it fully!
Eventhough my C3A desarg fragment is low, I am loaded up the wazoo with inflammation. And yet, sed rate has been normal or only slightly elevated.
Thanks for the info on the plasminogen test. It isn't clear which type I was tested for but as a woman of a particular age, I'd be shocked if I was tested for the type 2 pregnancy test!
Then again I was recently told by an x-ray tech that they are required to ask women up to age 55(!) if they could be pregnant so anything is possible. But I am assuming I was tested for the type 1.
It sounds like I have to figure out if I have some sort of clotting problem, genetic or otherwise. Thanks for letting me know this. I've always had normal PT/PTT results so this is puzzling, but what else is new? Good idea to have this test redrawn.
As for the VEGF, the doc DID tell me that much. I wasn't able to do the drops due to one of the ingredients and then he recommended a month's course of bactrim, which didn't seem to make a difference one way or another (I know, shocking just after a month).
I seem to remember that an elevated VEGF can be caused by something else, but this is escaping me at the moment.
Thanks again Bea. I really appreciate your responses and I admire you for coming here to help others. Hope you're doing OK.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Beaches,
Here are a couple of links on C3 and c3a fragment. Apparently C3a is the same as C3a desarg fragment.
NOTE -- the word complement above needs to be in parentheses but LymeNet won't let me post it that way.
Apparently C3 is made up of c3b fragment and c3a fragment.
I know hubby almost always had normal sed rates. I think that is part of the classical pathway of the immune system. And then C3 and C4 make up the alternative pathway of the immune system. I am sure it is much more complicated than that.
Anyway -- I think it is possible to have an elevated C4 and a normal C3 but not 100 percent sure. Different docs test different parts of the immune system.
I know hubby had an extremely elevated C4a at one time -- but do not think that doc tested C3a. But I seem to remember that there was some controversy a year or two ago regarding C4 testing. I think it was with LabCorp, but don't know if that is the only lab involved or not. It had something to do with the procedures involved in the test -- I think there was an additive that was supposed to be added within a certain time frame to make the test reliable.
Bea Seibert
Actually you did post that you were tested for plasminogen type 1 but I just didn't see the number one in your test description the first time.
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