posted
are there a battery of tests they can do to see if someone has a comprimised immune system? what kind of specialist do you go to for it?
or is that fact that I have a high titres for IgG and IgM for lyme and other things mean my immune system is working properly?
Posts: 615 | From maryland | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Good question. I personally think many of us have an over-active immune response, not an under-active one. Seems the majority of us suffering with Lyme aren't sick all of the time with colds, the flu, etc. Measuring over-active vs under-active immune system is the challenge.
You can certainly have your overall IgG, IgM, IgG levels evaluated. I think looking at inflammation (eg. sed. rates) might be one thing to look at and you can always ask your doctor to look at your cytokine levels (not sure of the details on this one...just starting to look into this with my LLMD myself).
Then there is the CD57 counts....these tend to be much lower in those of us with Lyme. How my immune system seems to fight routine infections yet have a low CD57 count is beyond me...
Think I'm just babbling here. I've been doing a great deal of thinking about this topic but unfortunately don't think science has any answers for us yet...
Kristin
Posts: 561 | From mass | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
If your WBC (white blood count) is consistently below normal then just about any MD would say that you have a compromised immune system. But this is just one measure of the immune system.
Any MD can order special immune function tests -- does not need to be a specialist.
The probem with doing these tests is knowing what to do with the info -- hubby has had many tests that showed he had imbalances in t-helper and t-suppressor cells. Actually this was before his Lyme diagnosis and noone could explain why these markers were abnormal while the WBC was normal, sedimentation rate was normal, IgG etc subclasses were normal and C-reative protein was normal.
Now after 7 years his WBC is low and CD 57 is also low. All the other immune system/inflammatory markers listed above are still normal. Have not had t-helper or t-suppressor tests done in a few years -- waiting on results of the newest immune test for Lyme -- CD4a complement.
As you can see the immune system is very complex.
And then there are measures such as Il-6 (interluken 6), Il-10 etc. (the cytokine markers)
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote: The probem with doing these tests is knowing what to do with the info -- hubby has had many tests that showed he had imbalances in t-helper and t-suppressor cells. Actually this was before his Lyme diagnosis and noone could explain why these markers were abnormal while the WBC was normal, sedimentation rate was normal, IgG etc subclasses were normal and C-reative protein was normal.
I have had the same problems with the t-cells and my iGM was very low. All the other tests like your husband has had have been normal. It is strange because my WBC, RBC have always been normal. As a matter of fact, every test I have had, and there have been many have all been normal. The exception to that fact is my testosterone levels are low. Cortisol and thyroid have always been in normal range.
Posts: 649 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2003
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ralph
Unregistered
posted
70 TO 80% of the immune system is based in the digestive system. So if the digestion is not right, the immune system cannot be right.
Digestive enzymes and probiotics may help.
Thymus support is typically needed as well. There are some very good herbals that do that well. Thymassure from Inno-Vita is a good one.
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