posted
I was told by my LLMD that you don't usually see CD57 levels drop until someone has been sick with Lyme for at least a year. So if you were to break this out into early Lyme and chronic/late Lyme, I think you would find a vast majority of those with chronic Lyme do have low CD57 counts.
I've most likely had it for 20+ years and my CD57 count was 36 (normal 60-360).
Posts: 195 | From Manchester, CT | Registered: Jun 2008
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I got my test 5 months into treatment (but at least 3 years after getting sick), so could the abx have actually lowered it (hopefully)?
What exactly does a low CD57 mean? From the wording on the Labcorp results, it seems to be measuring a function of the immune system.
Does a lower result mean we are less likely to recover? How accurate is it in measuring our progress and/or ability to recover?
Also, what does the CD% result mean? It is as significant as the actual CD57 result?
Sorry, lots of questions!
Posts: 408 | From California | Registered: Apr 2008
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
Well, the original theory was that the lower the score, the worse the patient would fare in the long run. According to what I've heard, though, this often wasn't the way it in fact worked out, and thus the test thus came to be used mainly as a diagnostic tool when other tests had failed to produce evidence of infection.
disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
Mine was 18 before starting treatment. When starting treatment, it went down to 9 and has been there ever since. I really need to have it checked again. It's been at least six or so months since I've had it checked. I'm curious as to if it went up, though I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't either.
My hubby, on the other hand, had a CD-57 of 26 and was put on Rifampin and was on it for a few months, had his CD-57 tested again and it went up to 42! A huge jump in such a short amount of time.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
Mine has jumped around since I was first tested prior to treatment. It's been as high as 60 a year ago and my last was the lowest at 29!
As a result my LLMD has me taking ImmunePlus Transfer Factor in hopes of increasing my natural killer cells and therefore getting my immune system to kick in. Gee, what a novel idea!
At least it confirmed what I knew, I'm not rid of this stuff yet!
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
I have never had mine checked. I can say though that I have stopped getting sick since treating my TBI's. I dont get a even a cold anymore. I used to get sick monthly with sinus and throat infections and colds.
Those of you who have low CD57 counts. Do you feel like you get everything going around? Just curious.
I am thinking about having mine checked in Jan.
-------------------- Pos BB and Bart(Q & H IGG pos) Began treat 1 year after start of illness. Diagnosed Feb 2007. Posts: 648 | From Ireland | Registered: Jan 2007
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quote:Originally posted by NMN: Those of you who have low CD57 counts. Do you feel like you get everything going around? Just curious.
Nope not me. I've only gotten one cold since getting very sick, and that was 2 years ago...(Knock, knock on wood! ).
But I think it's only because I'm disabled and housebound most of the time, so have few oppportunities to pick up any bugs going around...I know I got my cold 2 yrs ago from my mom.
Also I any flu or other viruses I may have gotten, I would chalked up to a herx.
I run fevers most of the time, so wonder if that has protected me against getting anything? Theoretically wouldn't a fever almost immediately kill any new virus I am exposed to?
Posts: 408 | From California | Registered: Apr 2008
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
My LabCorp CD-57 was an even 40.
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
My LabCorp CD 57 was 24. When I first went to my LLMD and showed him this test result, he said that even though many of his colleagues use this, he didn't seem to pay too much attention to it. I don't know?! Many different opinions, I think.
-------------------- Lyme diag. 2005, confirmed with LLMD Dec. 2007, 2 years of Marshall Protocol, Bicillin,mal.Dr.Z herbs, EBV, HHV-6,Babs,Bart?(3 kids positive for Lyme) Posts: 10 | From NY | Registered: May 2008
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
True. I know my LLMD doesn't seem to care about the CD-57 as long as I'm being treated with abx.
NMN, I don't think a low CD-57 correlates to increased susceptibility to the common cold and flu as it's just one type of killer T antigen I believe. For whatever reason, lyme seems to be one of the few infections that lowers CD-57.
Mine is 40 and I really haven't caught any of the common colds going around (and I work at a public library!) Even so I've felt like hell the last 2 years with lyme alone...
The test is useful in the sense that it offers more supportive evidence of lyme infection.
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
quote:Those of you who have low CD57 counts. Do you feel like you get everything going around? Just curious.
Nope. My CD57 is only 9 and I haven't had a cold/flu in a long time. KNOCK ON WOOD! I'd like to keep it that way. lol.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
MY cd-57 was 30, my first born's is 52, second born is 35 (eight year spread between kids).
My son who is 52 picks up every virus there is. Little guy and I are hardly ever sick.
I believe that if my immune system were functioning, I would get everything my kids brought home (and so would my little guy who abhors washing his hands). But it seems to be non-reactive. And I ride the city bus, which somedays seems like TB on wheels.
Posts: 564 | From Tick Hell | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
Mine was 95! But I'm really sick! Would an explanation for a higher CD-57 would be the presence of multiple co-infections? This is what I was told, but I'm not sure if it's true.
Posts: 348 | From maryland | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
I've taken my daughter to several LLMDs and most seem to agree they do not know the significance of this test, they do not think it is an appropriate tool to use to guide treatment at all. My daughters CD57 was a 7, now is a 4.
Posts: 371 | From CT | Registered: Jun 2008
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pamoisondelune
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posted
Two years ago and two and a half years ago my CD57 was 26 both times, while on abx. Don't have recent results.
Posts: 1226 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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JillF
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posted
mine was in the supposedly normal range
the llmd said i was clearly cured and no longer had lyme due to the test results
Posts: 1485 | From USA | Registered: Apr 2004
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
JillF--are you symptom-free? I've never heard of an LLMD pronouncing a patient cured based upon test results.
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posted
I just got my CD57 results in the mail on Friday, and I'm still waiting for my W. blot results.
My CD57 is 104, well within the normal range.
Whatever I have, I started to feel sick in the summer of '07.
Posts: 455 | From Was in PA, then MD, now in the Midwest | Registered: Nov 2008
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Lymeorsomething
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posted
I had one LLMD say that babs and lyme sort of help each other thrive whereas other infections compete with one another. So perhaps when these two infections are firing on all cylinders the CD-57 remains low but who knows....
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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gemofnj
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15551
posted
My CD 57 test was a 45 and was taken 2 months after diagnosis. Will retest again in January of 09.
LLMD says it is a measure of how your immune system has been impacted by lyme. High normals can be related to coinfections.
She will keep me on abx until my CD 57 reaches 120. She also said to take supplements which boost my immune system. When that recovers, I can go off antibiotics.
It is a slow process and then it will just make a jump.
I had lyme probably 5-8 months before treatment.
Posts: 1127 | From atlantic city, nj | Registered: May 2008
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posted
My CD57 was low, don't remember the number and am too lazy to look it up! My CD57 testing was about 10 months ago, have been treating for 9 months. I feel like death warmed over most days. I haven't had a cold/virus bug in over 3 years - thank God. If I had to add a bad cold to my overall feeling like hell...it would surely kill me, ugh.
Nervous system is really whacked tonight, heart about jumping out of my chest, numb feet, numb tongue...sort of the "usual" junk I seem to deal with...herx or disease winning, I have no idea...TS
Posts: 566 | From West Coast | Registered: May 2008
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quote:Originally posted by tickssuck: My CD57 was low, don't remember the number and am too lazy to look it up! My CD57 testing was about 10 months ago, have been treating for 9 months. I feel like death warmed over most days. I haven't had a cold/virus bug in over 3 years - thank God. If I had to add a bad cold to my overall feeling like hell...it would surely kill me, ugh.
Nervous system is really whacked tonight, heart about jumping out of my chest, numb feet, numb tongue...sort of the "usual" junk I seem to deal with...herx or disease winning, I have no idea...TS
Damn, I feel just like you minus the tongue crap, hang in there Pal...last night I went to sleep with my arms crossed over my chest, woke up, entire left hand was numb, like I slept on it cutting off the circulation, but I DIDNOT.....I hate the F**&^KING disease... Posts: 208 | From Hudson Valley, New York | Registered: Mar 2008
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i used the CD-57 as a guide to determine whether or not to pursue Lyme testing at Igenex after recieving negative Western Blots from Quest in Mar07.
a CD-57 is useful assistance tool. my plan was to retest every 90 days to check progress. but i learned it could take years before significant progress in reflected in the score.
i will not get retested until i have insurance again.. no telling when that will be. -- sonicbmx
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