Re: Got my test results...what do they mean?

[Guest guest]

Hi .

I have a website that has a lot of information on lab tests for

rheumatic diseases

http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/Lab%20Tests.html

Here is an article I found interesting on ANA. A negative ANA doesn't

rule out lupus. It is taken from an interview with Wallace,

M.D. Wallace is the author of the hugely successful 'The Lupus

Book', and is considered to be one of the world's leading lupus

specialists.

Q - I often get emails from people who have negative blood tests (e.g.

ANA, anti-ds DNA), and have therefore been told that they have not got

lupus. What are your thoughts on this matter, does a negative test on

one occasion necessarily mean that lupus can be ruled out?

A - ANA negative lupus is only seen in discoid lupus, antiphospholipid

syndrome and patients who have had so much steroids or chemotherapy

that their test becomes negative. Anti DNA is present in only half with

lupus and is not definitive.

In the US, 97% with SLE are ANA positive using a Hep-2 substrate.

However, in the UK and other countries, if other substrates are being

used, up to 10% can be ANA negative.

http://www.uklupus.co.uk/dwallace.html

Your sed rate is high. A normal sed rate for a woman is 0-20. Zero

means there is no inflammation. My sed rate runs between 40 to 100.

My website has many articles on sed rate and what it means. I know how

hard it is to weed through all the bad information on the net. That's

the main reason I put the website together.

Hands and feet are normally the first joints involved. This fact has

stumped me for years and I've questioned my own diagnoses because my

hands and feet aren't involved. I've had RA since my early 20's and

I'm now 50. My hands and feet are totally normal, but my knees eroded

to the point of needing to have joint replacements. My ankles are also

severely eroded, and I have mild erosions in several other joints.

I've questioned 4 rheumatologists about having no hand or feet

involvement and their feelings are that I have RA in spite of them

being normal. My personal feelings are that I have psoriatic arthritis

but since the treatments are the same, I stopped pursuing it.

a

On Mar 24, 2005, at 7:16 PM, tandarat wrote:

>

>

> OK, I got my test results.  As I mentioned earlier, I have my

> first " date " with the rheumatologist on April 8th.  The good news is

> that my ANA was negative (whew - I get a rash similar to a malar

> rash, and was worried). 

>

> Anyway, my ESR is 40, and my RF is 64.0.  I know these are high, but

> how high, and what can cause these results?  How common are false

> highs on these?  I'm trying to do some online research, but I'm

> weeding through a lot of stuff that isn't relevant.

>

> Another question.  I've always thought that RA affects the joints of

> the hands and feet first.  Those actually seem to be the only joints

> that DON'T hurt or flare up on me, though my hands get very stiff in

> the morning.  Is it still possible I have RA?

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi .

I have a website that has a lot of information on lab tests for

rheumatic diseases

http://rheumatoid.arthritis.freehosting.net/Lab%20Tests.html

Here is an article I found interesting on ANA. A negative ANA doesn't

rule out lupus. It is taken from an interview with Wallace,

M.D. Wallace is the author of the hugely successful 'The Lupus

Book', and is considered to be one of the world's leading lupus

specialists.

Q - I often get emails from people who have negative blood tests (e.g.

ANA, anti-ds DNA), and have therefore been told that they have not got

lupus. What are your thoughts on this matter, does a negative test on

one occasion necessarily mean that lupus can be ruled out?

A - ANA negative lupus is only seen in discoid lupus, antiphospholipid

syndrome and patients who have had so much steroids or chemotherapy

that their test becomes negative. Anti DNA is present in only half with

lupus and is not definitive.

In the US, 97% with SLE are ANA positive using a Hep-2 substrate.

However, in the UK and other countries, if other substrates are being

used, up to 10% can be ANA negative.

http://www.uklupus.co.uk/dwallace.html

Your sed rate is high. A normal sed rate for a woman is 0-20. Zero

means there is no inflammation. My sed rate runs between 40 to 100.

My website has many articles on sed rate and what it means. I know how

hard it is to weed through all the bad information on the net. That's

the main reason I put the website together.

Hands and feet are normally the first joints involved. This fact has

stumped me for years and I've questioned my own diagnoses because my

hands and feet aren't involved. I've had RA since my early 20's and

I'm now 50. My hands and feet are totally normal, but my knees eroded

to the point of needing to have joint replacements. My ankles are also

severely eroded, and I have mild erosions in several other joints.

I've questioned 4 rheumatologists about having no hand or feet

involvement and their feelings are that I have RA in spite of them

being normal. My personal feelings are that I have psoriatic arthritis

but since the treatments are the same, I stopped pursuing it.

a

On Mar 24, 2005, at 7:16 PM, tandarat wrote:

>

>

> OK, I got my test results.  As I mentioned earlier, I have my

> first " date " with the rheumatologist on April 8th.  The good news is

> that my ANA was negative (whew - I get a rash similar to a malar

> rash, and was worried). 

>

> Anyway, my ESR is 40, and my RF is 64.0.  I know these are high, but

> how high, and what can cause these results?  How common are false

> highs on these?  I'm trying to do some online research, but I'm

> weeding through a lot of stuff that isn't relevant.

>

> Another question.  I've always thought that RA affects the joints of

> the hands and feet first.  Those actually seem to be the only joints

> that DON'T hurt or flare up on me, though my hands get very stiff in

> the morning.  Is it still possible I have RA?

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, my first symptoms started in my right hip. The rest of

me was fine. it was several months before any other joint was

affected and only in the last year that my hands have been

affected. it is different with everyone....Marina

>

>

> OK, I got my test results. As I mentioned earlier, I have my

> first " date " with the rheumatologist on April 8th. The good news

is

> that my ANA was negative (whew - I get a rash similar to a malar

> rash, and was worried).

>

> Anyway, my ESR is 40, and my RF is 64.0. I know these are high,

but

> how high, and what can cause these results? How common are false

> highs on these? I'm trying to do some online research, but I'm

> weeding through a lot of stuff that isn't relevant.

>

> Another question. I've always thought that RA affects the joints

of

> the hands and feet first. Those actually seem to be the only

joints

> that DON'T hurt or flare up on me, though my hands get very stiff

in

> the morning. Is it still possible I have RA?

>

> Thanks!

>

>

[Guest guest]

, my first symptoms started in my right hip. The rest of

me was fine. it was several months before any other joint was

affected and only in the last year that my hands have been

affected. it is different with everyone....Marina

>

>

> OK, I got my test results. As I mentioned earlier, I have my

> first " date " with the rheumatologist on April 8th. The good news

is

> that my ANA was negative (whew - I get a rash similar to a malar

> rash, and was worried).

>

> Anyway, my ESR is 40, and my RF is 64.0. I know these are high,

but

> how high, and what can cause these results? How common are false

> highs on these? I'm trying to do some online research, but I'm

> weeding through a lot of stuff that isn't relevant.

>

> Another question. I've always thought that RA affects the joints

of

> the hands and feet first. Those actually seem to be the only

joints

> that DON'T hurt or flare up on me, though my hands get very stiff

in

> the morning. Is it still possible I have RA?

>

> Thanks!

>

>