posted
i know the abx challenge is supposed to help a western blot, what helps a PCR test be more accurate.
Clinincal Diagnosis have got me nothing but poly addicted to phych meds for 20 years
PCR is proof, but what can I do make if find something or not.
I know most say treat on symptoms and antibodies but I want definiative proof cause all I show positive elisa is antibodies for bart. Last WB ZERO ZILTH NADA NO BANDS!
How many people would treat cancer and go on chemo based on a clinical diagnosis?
From that haverford place
Not as well known but very effective is the PCR test. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test confirms that Lyme bacteria are present in the body. The PCR test is relatively new. It is designed to confirm that Lyme bacteria DNA are present. A positive PCR test almost always guarantees that you have Lyme disease, depending upon the accuracy of the lab that performed the work. A negative PCR doesn’t prove you don’ have Lyme however we have PCR strategies that can help you confirm this. The second note on testing has to do with the fact that test results often vary depending upon which lab performs the test. Both of the labs we use specialize in Lyme testing.
IP: Logged |
sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
I am also interested to see what people say about this.
I need proof of what is wrong with me. I treated LD for 1 year with no improvement and now my doctor thinks maybe its an autoimmune issue. And maybe it is, but so far no test comfirms it.
I need to know what to treat! Its crazy not to be able to get a firm diagnosis somewhere, somehow.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
the easiest to understand explantion of pcr i have heard is this:
your body is a bucket of sand
the sand is your blood, tissue, other fluids etc
there are some shells mixed in
they are the ketes
when you take a biosy or draw blood it is like taking a spoon of sand...sometimes you get a shell(kete)...most of the time you don't
so if you have lyme really bad and it is affecting one part the most-i guess your best bet would be to get tissue or fluid from there...
ketes really like tissue better than fluid-so that is a better bet i think
but its really just luck...
what about the LUAT from igenex....that worked for a bunch of ppl i know
i had one pos pcr in 20 yrs
before and after i had pos wb
all my neg pcrs did not mean i was lyme free
also-i have had major problems getting non-llmd docs (surgeons) to harvest and send off the tissue correctly...major problem. so much work on my part and then they say-oh-i forgot or i wasn't sure how to package it ...blah blah blah
pcrs are expensive too
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
After having Lyme for almost 5 years, I finally got SOME KIND of positive test result...
It was the IFA (Immune Fluorescence assay) at Igenex for both Babesia and Borrelia. At the same time, my WB was negative...again. I don't know if that means that my body is still not making antibodies or what.
A year ago my CDl57 was 19. It's now gone up to 36, and I AM feeling better.
Even though I don't have a positive WB, at least I have the positive IFA and significant CD57 results in case I have to challenge my insurance or anything.
You might try the IFA if it wasn't ordered. I don't think it's considered definitive, but it's the best I have right now.
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
A PCR is more accurate because it actually tests for the presence of DNA specific to a bacteria, or class of organisms. Tests like the ELISA and Western Blot test for the presence of human antibodies to bacteria, not the actual bacteria itself.
Basically, PCR looks for a specific sequence in DNA, which is really long chains of 4 chemicals, and the two chains fit together (think of teeth on a zipper). The PCR test first "unzips" the DNA, and then there are chemicals called primers added to the sample also. The primers match a certain pattern of chemicals in the chain (like teeth 5-10 on a zipper). When the primers match the teeth on the zipper, they link together into repeated chains themselves. The point of all this is that the primers are visible when viewed under the correct light source.
The problem with all this is that the Lyme bacteria is not usually concentrated in the blood (or cerebral spinal fluid), so you often can get a sample from a person with Lyme that does not actually contain enough bacterial DNA to get a positive PCR result.
Positive PCRs can be obtained by taking a skin biopsy of the leading edge of an EM rash, but that does not really help - if you have an EM, you do not need anything else for diagnosis. Sometimes synovial fluid from a swollen joint will test positive on a PCR as well.
Posts: 263 | From Capital Region, NY, USA | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic