posted
Hi, I personally believe in Igenix. I had the same 2 bands that kept coming up positive from the Western Blot come up positive on Igenix.
My dr. (along with many of course) don't think anyone comes up negative at Igenix.
So, my question to you all: have you or someone you know come up negative on the Igenix test???
Posts: 32 | From Columbia, Maryland | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
My husband and I are both negative.
Posts: 433 | From new york | Registered: Dec 2004
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onbam
Unregistered
posted
I think IGenex claims 55% sensitivity, or something like that (still better than the other tests we can get now). Could be wrong.
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Found this in one of my files:
In testimony given at the Informational Hearing on Lyme Disease: Issues in Diagnosis and Reporting, Wednesday, February 25, 2004, to the California Legislature Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (Deborah V. Ortiz, Chair) Jyotsna Shah, PhD, CMLD, MBA, Vice President of Research and Development Dept. and Laboratory Director of Clinical Reference Laboratory, IGeneX Inc. of Palo Alto offered the following:
``For the year 2003, just to give you an idea, we had tested 698 patients suspected of Lyme disease. Three hundred and ninety-four were positive by either Western blot or antigen test or PCR. If we had gone by the CDC criteria only, we would have missed 70 percent of this 394 cases.''
In other words, 56% of the Lyme disease tests performed by IGeneX Laboratory in 2003 were positive.
This testimony is on the public record. At the 2005 ILADS conference, Jyotsna Shah, PhD,CCLD, MBA, said that IGeneX scored better than 95% in the stringent NY proficiency tests from 2001-2005.
Out of 58 labs, only IGeneX had a perfect score on Western blot proficiency. In recent tests for 327 patients, 238 were identified as positive by IGeneX criteria. Only 112 would have been correctly diagnosed using the CDC surveillance criteria.
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
My daughter had band 41 positive and bands 31 and/or 34 IND (can't remember exactly). We did a trial of abx and she responded, so we treated her. So, yes, people do test negative.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
This used to be on the IGeneX site but I can't find it now. Perhaps this will help explain the differences between IgeneX and other labs. NOTE:I had to take some parenthesis out in order to get lymenet to accept the post.
The IGeneX Western Blot: Better by Design
The IGeneX Western BIot was designed to be effective in all stages of Lyme Disease, not just early Lyme. The current Western Blot, in most clinical laboratories, was designed for early Lyme Disease. The publications referring to this generic blot studied patients with Lyme disease within the first few months after a tick bite and an EM rash.
IGeneX designed the blots differently, based upon the principles discussed in the publication by Ma et al. J Clin Microbiol,1992, 30:3 70-79 (see graph below). Pedigreed samples were obtained from Yale, University of Connecticut (UCON), and a Hospital in Old Lyme, CT. These samples came from patients with a physician diagnosed EM rash and symptoms of active Lyme Disease. The difference from the CDC studies was that these patients were not just early Lyme Disease < 5 months), but also mid-Lyme > 5 months to 1 year) and late Lyme disease > 1 year.
In addition, instead of using just one strain of bacteria, two strains (B 31 and 297) are used to make IGeneX Western Blot strips. This allowed IGeneX to have alI the Lyme antigens more or less equally represented.
IGeneX also uses a 12.5% polyacrylamide gel to get better separation of the important 31 kDa to 39 kDa antigens. Dressler et al. JI., 1993, 167:392-400 only used a 10% gel and had poor separation of the 31 to 39 kDa antigens. That publication was a cornerstone of the CDC surveillance criteria published in MMWR 1995, 44:590-591.
In summary the IGeneX Western BIot for Lyme Disease has:
High sensitivity in aIl phases of disease. Ability to detect Lyme antibodies in aIl parts of the US. Ability to detect late Lyme due to the presence of 31kDa and 34 kDa antigens. Ability to detect immunization by European strains of Borrelia due to high uniform antigen concentration. The IGX Western Blots can accomplish this due to the relatively equivalent amount of each unique antigen used in our strips. This is done by harvesting each cell line at an optimum phase.
The IGX Western Blots have been evaluated and have reactivity against various B. burgdorferi strains including: European strains B. afzelli and B gaiinii; the Japanese strain of B. japonica; and the sub-strains of B. burgdorferi from Colorado, Missouri and Texas.
The high amount of antigen to OspA-31kDa and 34kDa gives the IGX Western Blots the ability to detect patients with persistent/recurrent (chronic) symptoms of Lyme Disease.
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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Dekrator48
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18239
posted
My Igenex WB was read as negative, even though I had some positive and IND bands.
-------------------- The fibromyalgia I've had for 32 years was an undiagnosed Lyme symptom.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". -Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 6076 | From Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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karenl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17753
posted
My LLMD said Igenex tests for t w o strains of lyme: one of Eastern USA and one European.
If you got another strain or f.e.during a holiday in Japan, they cannot find that you have lyme.
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
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IgG 31 IND 41 IND 45+
Posts: 133 | From Philly/NJ | Registered: Nov 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Shark,
I'm concerned that if your doctor does not seem to understand the complexity of testing and the differences between Igenex and other labs that he may not be the most well educated for you regarding all aspects of treatment.
His snap judgement seems to convey an "attitude" and that is an important red flag for you to investigate.
Bet he has not taken into account that only those who likely have lyme even get tested at Igenex and then - because Igenex' tests are more precise, they will find lyme where labs that fail to do their job correctly do not find as many positives.
You might be wise to sound him out for his thoughts on all avenues of treatment. I hope he is better educated in the other areas than in how IDSA politics and rumors have skewed the reputation of one of the best labs - doing a far better job than most. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- With thanks to Robin123 for finding this at CanLyme:
My symptoms haven't changed, although they are suppressed when I take abx.
I switched to a new LLMD and she re-ran the tests along with the co-infection tests and I was negative even by IGeneX standards. Only one positive band.
Posts: 984 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
your doctor sounds like my primary doctor who could not help me with 3 years of symptoms
he said if we search too hard for an answer we might find one
and I was like how is that not a good thing?
it's crazy sometimes
Paul
Posts: 925 | From Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2010
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Tricky Tickey
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 26546
posted
I, too, was negative by their criteria. I'm also in very early stages. However, we do believe I have Lyme...it's real close. IgM **34kDa. IND (Band present with weak intensity) **41kDa. + IgG **31kDa. IND (Band present with weak intensity) **41kDa + **45kDa + **58kDa +
-------------------- Early Disseminated LD- 2010. Currently doing acupuncture and yoga. Negative Igenex (IND & Pos Bands) ISSUES AFTER: Tendonitis, letter reversal, Low immune system. PREVENTION:SaltC,Iodine,Humaworm, Chiropractic. Posts: 1013 | From In a van down by the river. | Registered: Jun 2010
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