Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 I'm thinking about having the Igenex western blot done and was wondering how accurate it is. I know it is supposed to be better than standard western blot. I tested positive for the 41 band on IgM and IgG on the standard and had a positive Bowen. My LLMD said that Bowen is always positive and recommended Igenex. I want to know whether or not I am really dealing with Lyme here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 Well I'm confused......I'm no expert on Lyme testing.......are you talking about Western Blot -(IGM) serum testing? spinal fluid? or LUAT - urine testing? or PCR testing? Live Bacteria?, Antigen? or Protein die off? I always thought that any blood testing you have done.........you should be free of abx for about 4-6 weeks.........the reason I heard for a newer infection - was so the spirochetes are freely moving around in your blood stream and not deep in your tissues hiding from the abx.........so this was for catching the live bacteria in your blood or spinal fluid, or even in the fluid of swollen joints. As far as an older infection............I'm not sure about abx and the effects on antibodies, I believe I read that..............the antibiotics can reduce the body's production of antibodies..(IGG) I always thought it was the Urine tests that you needed to take abx, prior to testing. I thought that when the spirochetes are killed off they release a protein that is detectable in the urine..........my first test, after taking abx for 3 days had a count of #251. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is standard practice........unless they've changed something recently...........or maybe I am mixed up......feel free to correct me if any of this is wrong...........or you find research that says differently. I do know its important to have several different types of tests. Conniek nwnj When our bodies & minds are out of balance...........we suffer! You may find the following research helpful: Limitation of serological testing for Lyme borreliosis: evaluation of ELISA and western blot in comparison with PCR and culture methods. Tylewska-Wierzbanowska S, Chmielewski T. Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland. The aim of the study was to evaluate a one-step procedure using an ELISA test of high specificity and a two-step procedure using immunoblot as a confirmation test, and to compare the results of serological testing with detection of bacterial DNA and living spirochetes. Sera, synovial (SF) and cerebro-spinal fluids (CSF) were obtained from 90 patients with clinical symptoms of Lyme borreliosis. Serum samples were tested with recombinant ELISA and Western blot assay. Citrated blood, cerebrospinal and synovial fluids samples were cultured in cell line and tested by PCR to detect spirochetes. No correlation was found between levels of specific B. burgdorferi antibodies detected with a recombinant antigen ELISA and the number of protein fractions developed with these antibodies by immunoblot. Moreover, Lyme borreliosis patients who have live spirochetes in body fluids have low or negative levels of borrelial antibodies in their sera. This indicates that an efficient diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis has to be based on a combination of various techniques such as serology, PCR and culture, not solely on serology. Publication Types: Evaluation Studies PMID: 12422608 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2003 Report Share Posted April 6, 2003 Oh..for LUAT........yes I too was told you need abx for spirochete die off to be detected in the urine.............. Conniek nwnj When our bodies & minds are out of balance...........we suffer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 Do you know what other diseases have a positive 41 band test? That is the only band I tested positive for, but I haven't take the Igenex yet. I wonder if there is something else I should be looking at instead of Lyme. Thanks Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 Hi Andy, Thanks for the info on the urine test for Igenex, but I think my doc is intending on having me do the blood test. Do you know if this makes a big difference as far as accuracy? Also, I have been on abx for 6 weeks now. Thanks Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 Connie, The doc wants me to take the Igenex western blot blood test. I have been on abx for 6 weeks, does this mean I will not get an accurate result? Thanks Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 It means you could get a false negative.............it tests for antibodies..... I know of others that lucked out and did get a positive test despite being on abx......I just know the research says your chances of getting a false negative are greater when on abx. Certainly don't stop abx for the testing...........(maybe just the day before and the day of the test) That won't hurt.......in fact lots of LLMD's like to do pulse therapy with abx.........its like a surprise attack on the spirochetes. Conniek nwnj When our bodies & minds are out of balance...........we suffer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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