- NK test results

[Guest guest]

, you wrote that your NK results from Univ of Miami on the second page were

1.9, 59/cumm, which were lower that the results of the person who had previously

posted hers, saying they were the 2nd lowest Cheney had ever seen. (3.2 with a

6.1% activity level). You also noted that your third page results were 0,8 and

26/cumm.

I do not know the difference in significance of the three different subsets of

NK cells that the test results show, one on each page. Love to know if anyone

else does.

I noticed that you only listed the count, not the activity level, which is

crucial. Even if you have normal count, but they are not " active " , or doing

their job, then they are not doing you any good!

Just for comparison, since your doc has never done this test before, my first

test showed 2.9% and 46/cumm, with an activity of 18%. The activity was probably

inappropriately high, as my test was done about the same time some reported that

many docs were complaining to the lab about high activity levels, and they

suspected a bad batch of assay stuff. Or something. Very unusual for this lab.

After two months on Isoprinosine, my count jumped up: 11% and 150/cumm, with a

19.4% activity level. On the third page I had 5.4% and 73/cumm with an activity

of 24.4%.

I do have mild flu-like symptoms much of the time, including a low-grade fever

most of the last five years. While on the Isoprinosine, I felt even more

flu-like for awhile, and my fever, though still low-grade, was higher. The drug

was shifting me away from Th2 towards Th1 and my anti-viral defenses, including

the NK cells, were coming back on-line.

From your description I would guess that you are very, very shifted toward Th2

and have little if any Th1 response. You probably don't have flu-like symptoms

because your body isn't able to mount much of any anti-viral response, which is

what causes the flu-like symptoms. (It's really not the virus that makes us feel

bad - it's our body fighting it. At least with normal viral stuff.)

This sounds very dangerous - you could have some of the nasty viruses and

intracellular bacteria common in CFS and your body has few defenses to mount

against them.

I would certainly check out ways to shift your immune system toward Th1.

For those who haven't seen it, an article based on Cheney's description of the

Th1 and Th2 situation and how to correct it is at

www.virtualhometown.com/dfwcfids in the Cheney section - " Balancing the Immune

System " .

Take care. Carol