posted
I have very low C3 and C4 levels, not c3a and c4a or whatever those tests are. The C3 and C4 are very low. What causes this? Anyone else have both of these low?
Posts: 211 | From In my house | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Its a marker for lupus, one of the many things they use to diagnose it along with positive ANA and ds-DNA antibodies and other symptoms. However it can probably be caused by Lyme also.
Posts: 195 | From Manchester, CT | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. They don't think it is from Lupus. Any ideas on what else it could be? Have you heard of other lyme patients with both low c3 and c4? Thanks again. Any comment is appreciated.
Posts: 211 | From In my house | Registered: May 2007
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
Funk is right although Lupus is not well understood and some would maintain that Lupus is just lyme.
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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Read an article/study years ago where put lupus patients on antibiotics, tetracycline I think, and it helped their arthritis. Article was entitled something like, Treating Lupus Arthritis with Antibiotics.
Posts: 211 | From In my house | Registered: May 2007
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posted
The regular C3 and C4 being low means you have inflammation in your body. They're inflammation markers. A Rheumatologist explained it to me just last week. He also had no idea what the C4a and C3a that my LLMD did on me meant..lol! My C3a and 4a are extremely elevated 22,520 (high end is like 2,500)so that's how my LLMD knows I have inflammation.
Posts: 17 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Jul 2010
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My C3 and C4 are very low. very , Very low. I wondered what caused this? Thanks.
Posts: 211 | From In my house | Registered: May 2007
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Amanda
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14107
posted
What is your general WBC (white blood cell) count? Usually, they will also do a complete blood coount, which looks at your total immune system, plus the counts a the various immune cell counts (like luekocytes, nuetrophils etc).
If those counts are low, it means your immune system is suppressed (lyme, babesea and ehrlichia can all suppress the immune system)
And it might also explain why those specific immune markers are low.
FYI - Last time I had c4 and c3 done, they were low normal. My overall counts are low as well...
-------------------- "few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" - Mark Twain Posts: 1008 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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Google "complement C3 C4" The way I understand is that they are immune markers. A test to help see how your immune system in functioning. It can be low for gram negative bacteremia or sepsis (overwhelming infection) or low in certain cases of lupus if the ANA is elevated.
That is my interpretation.
Posts: 747 | From Utah | Registered: Apr 2010
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Thanks a lot everyone. Makes sense. My WBC is low. I think it is my monocytes that are the problem. I can't remember which white cell. Will find out. Thanks a lot everyone. My C3 and C4 are very low. Almost not there. Thanks everyone I love your help. My WBc have been low off and on ever since I have been ill.
Posts: 211 | From In my house | Registered: May 2007
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