Topic: New USA test for multi-infections by ticks is not the first
Ann-Ohio
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posted
Tickplex is available since last year at labs in Finland (where it was developed by Dr. Gilbert) and in Germany.
Here is a quote from an interview that was posted by Andromeda 13 :
Leona told me that she has had enquiries about her tests from the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) and the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in America, as well as the Department of Health in Finland.
I asked her how she had made her proteins for the kits but she said they are a bit of a trade secret, and that's when she mentioned that there are 4 patents pending associated with the methodology.
Two of her peer-reviewed research publications (1, 2) describe how she discovered this exceptionally useful information about the round bodies, and how she devised the tests. ……
In the validation of Tickplex technology a double-blinded study, supported by the Finnish government, and involving 1,100 patients and 200 healthy controls , was carried out to see how well the Tickplex Plus test performed.
The sensitivity was 95% and the specificity 98%. It was by far the best study result the FSI has seen regarding infectious diseases caused by ticks
You can read about Dr. Gilbert below. Click on the links and read more about Tickplex
Concurrent research in Borrellia and Human parvovirus lead to her initiation and involvement in the EU Project HILYSENS
to develop a highly sensitive and specific low-cost lab-on-a-chip system for Lyme disease diagnosis. HILYSENS project was so successful is it is now followed up by the HILYSENSII.
Dr. Gilbert's research initiatives into complete diagnostic platform and clinical profiling of patients for tick-borne disease pathogens will allow a better understanding of how chronic conditions could be established with tick-borne pathogen infections.
-------------------- Ann-OH Posts: 1589 | From Ohio | Registered: Aug 2014
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Ann-Ohio
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 44364
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-------------------- Ann-OH Posts: 1589 | From Ohio | Registered: Aug 2014
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I'm all for another horse in the race, especially if it helps with early detection.
But for me, the acid test is how it identifies and distinguishes late stage; simply slotting IgG vs IgM won't cut it.
We need to clearly demonstrate active infection for all who are infected with late stage Lyme. The same applies to other TBDs such as bartonella and babesia whose labs remain unreliable or inconsistent.
I would be pleased if anyone can point me to NIH research undertaken in the last five years (10?) that is solely or even primarily dedicated to late stage Lyme diagnostics.
Posts: 228 | From Unitied States | Registered: Jul 2015
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Half of the interview is with Dr Armin Schwarzbach who runs Arminlabs. He uses the Tickplex tests but he also uses Elispot tests which look for the T cells' reactions to Borrelia. Elispots are available for several co-infections too.
Elispots are probably going to give more of a chance of finding an immune response in those patients who have stopped making antibodies, whose B cells are not functioning properly.
posted
Pretty sure there is a variation of the Elispot being trialed in the US.
Needless to say there is a lot of push-back against this diagnostic. Regardless of its theoretical merits, it is not direct, and accordingly is subject to the same attacks we are so familiar with any antibody tests like ELISA or WB or C6.
I'm not trying to burst anybody's bubble. I'm just saying what many of us know - we need a direct test. We thought we might have it a couple years back, but...
Posts: 228 | From Unitied States | Registered: Jul 2015
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posted
I agree, we absolutely need direct testing methods. If they can find Ebola germs and other viruses, and not bother with antibodies, then surely the technology can be advanced enough to find the borrelia bacteria?
Is Advanced Labs not going any more? I thought they were really good. A friend in the UK managed to get his blood sample tested by them. After 6 days they reported they could see spirochetes, and they stained them with a specific stain for Borrelia. He did not go on to have the DNA part of the test done unfortunately. But it was enough for him to know that he was still infected. And he is very ill with bad autonomic dysfunctions.
I don't know any other people who have had the Advanced Labs test - here in the UK it is virtually impossible to get a doctor to order it, and somehow get the sample there within 24 hours.
Posts: 180 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
I may be misremembering, but I thought they were going for independent replication and validation a couple of years ago. But I don't recall that having been achieved.
If I am wrong, please let me know. I hope I am.
Posts: 228 | From Unitied States | Registered: Jul 2015
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posted
I remember that they had to find a big number of freshly-bitten cases and see how good they were at finding the bacteria at that stage. Sometimes these things do take 2 years or so to get done and then published. I'm trying to be hopeful too.
It's so depressing when I know that some people in the US who have actually been tested a few times at Advanced labs, and when they were better the bacteria had actually gone from their blood. It is a useful test for people who've been infected for months, and those who have Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME etc who can then find out what is causing their illness. But that's just what the governments don't want them to find out.
Posts: 180 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
There is a good deal of cross-elasticities emerging between Lyme and ME/CFS research recently. Look at the Stanford (Berkley?) efforts of Lyme people like Mark Davis who is also very active in ME/CFS circles. I think he and others are leaning towrd Aucotts autoimmune thing, with Lyme as a trigger.
I'm not buying what they are selling.
Posts: 228 | From Unitied States | Registered: Jul 2015
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