LymeNet Flash: Anybody told they had a high TNF level?

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»	LymeNet Flash » Questions and Discussion » Medical Questions » Anybody told they had a high TNF level?

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Topic: Anybody told they had a high TNF level?

julier
Member
Member # 9527

posted

Someone in General Support brought up this topic.

Now I'm curious as to whether anyone else here has been told they had a high TNF level.

My daughter had a spinal tap and that was the only abnormality - a high TNF (tumor necrosis factor).

The doctor claimed it meant there was some sort of inflammation in the body, but he didn't know why.

So what did he do? Prescribed steroids. Thankfully it was a dose pack, not too long. Of course, it did nothing for her.

So now I'm wondering if others have had a similar finding.

Julie

Posts: 40 | From Pasadena | Registered: Jun 2006 | IP: Logged |

lou
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 81

posted

Did you try googling TNF? Here is one description, which as you can see applies to multiple diseases, not just lyme. In other words, it can be a marker for infection, but which one is not indicated by the test your daughter had.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumor_necrosis_factor

Good thing the steroids were not a long course; that is very bad if the high TNF is caused by infection.

And here is an abstract about some research on the subject:

http://tinyurl.com/me29a

The thing is that cytokines like TNF can be a good thing in fighting infection, but they might also go on to be too much of a good thing. It is apparently a complex situation that they are still researching.

Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged |

julier
Member
Member # 9527

posted

Lou - thank you so much for that - that is exactly the type of thing I was looking for. Something that could actually relate to what is really going on with my 13 year old.

I forgot to mention that after the dose pack, another doctor (for some reason we keep getting referred rheumatologists) decided that we should lower the TNF level or block it with Humira. He only gave her one shot with the hope that she would stop having symptoms. That did not work either.

My daughter was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever after being severely ill for two and a half months. She was then given Doxy for only ten days.

It is now four months later and she still feels sick every single day. At least she can walk now. She was in a wheelchair and felt like passing out for four months.

We are pleading with the ID to give her more Doxy, but he says that he gave her the recommended protocal for RMSF. He thinks that because she can walk now, it is only a matter of time with the rest.

I am going to go to him with the article to tie in a possible Lyme connection - especially in light of the reference to the elevated TNF level in this article. So far, I had nothing to show.

Again, thanks so much. This is truly helpful.

Julie

BTW - she was tested through yet another doctor (how many do we all go through?) through Igenex. I still have not spoken to the doctor about his interpretation of the results.

Igenex called it a negative, but there were some positive bands that an LLMD may consider significant.

Posts: 40 | From Pasadena | Registered: Jun 2006 | IP: Logged |

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