My interpretation is #1 is the standard screening test (ELISA). If the test is positive then the western blot is done automatically. This is the standard testing for lyme that most non-lyme specialists order. I just wonder how much it costs if the test is negative and no further testing is done. It should be a lot less. The ELISA is not very reliable and misses a large percentage of lyme cases. #2 is the western blot in itself.
I think this is what it means but I'm not sure.
There is a newer, different test for Lyme, called a polymerase chain reaction [PCR] test that Lyme specialists often use in addition to the Western blot and ELISA tests.
The Wblot/ELISA tests rely on your immune system reaction to determine whether you have a positive (+) test or a negative (-) test for Lyme.
Greetings --
I'm with Katya, that a bit more investigation may well be worthwhile.
IGeneX has a number tests, and your MD may want to test you (perhaps in addition to Western blot) run a test called PCR, short of polymerase chain reaction.
PCR tests look in your blood for the DNA (unique cellular material) of the Lyme bacteria, and it quite reliable ...
The quotations below are from the Mayo Clinic website, discussing Lyme testing:
1 -- ELISA can sometimes give a false positive result:
"Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test: The test used most often to detect Lyme disease, ELISA detects antibodies to B. burgdorferi. But because it can sometimes provide false-positive results, it's not used as the sole basis for diagnosis.
The IDSA guidelines use a 2-tier blood testing scheme for detecting Lyme. In the 1st step, the ELISA test is used. This is like a screening test. If (and only if) the ELISA is positive, the 2nd step is to do a Western blot test, which looks for certain antibodies in the blood that are (mostly) specific to Lyme disease. There are criteria for how many "bands" (each band is like a different antibody) must appear on the Western blot to fit the CDC definition of positive.
s reaction to the Lyme bacteria, the PCR test looks for DNA of the Lyme bacteria in your blood -- that is, a direct test, rather than an indirect test like W.blot/ELISA.
Docs who are not particularly up to date on Lyme do not 'believe' in the PCR test but do believe that W.blot/ELISA is fully accurate. If you need help finding a Lyme specialist who understands all this, let us know.
you can have Lyme, but the test can show negative, since the ELISA/Wblot test can be fooled into not detecting the immune reaction.
By contrast, the newer and differently structured IGeneX test doesn't play hide-and-seek like ELISA/Wblot does: instead, IGeneX looks for Lyme genetic material (DNA) in your blood, which is a direct test and no fooling around playing hide-and-seek.
0) using analogous European tests. The sensitivity of a U.S. C6 ELISA used as a stand-alone test (88% overall) was statistically comparable to that of conventional 2-tiered testing using European tests (P=0.47) and was 100% specific. Similarly, an alternative 2-tiered algorithm using a standard U.S. ELISA followed by a C6 ELISA was comparably sensitive (84% overall) compared with conventional 2-tiered testing using European assays (P=0.82), and specificity remained 100%.
Conclusions.
Ah, I see----- MDL uses the 2 tier method. ELISA first then if that is indeterminate or positive, only then will they perform the WB.
Igenex only uses an ELISA in conjunction with a WB---- because it feels that the ELISA isn't that reliable for Lyme. MDL seems to adopted the CDCs protocol for the 2 tier method which is one of the reasons most of us aren't enamoured of that method.
So----- if that's all your insurance will pay for (MDL) then I can understand going to them.
t enough positive (+) bands to make a diagnosis of Lyme, I would take the printed test result to another Lyme doc for a second opinion, because there is *something* causing that positive reaction -- it may be a weak positive, but weak or strong, Lyme is Lyme. A good Lyme doc knows that and takes even the weak tests seriously.
It sounds like your daughter's doc is looking for high levels of infection and immune reaction, but Lyme has the ability to *suppress* the human immune system ...
hmm, I think you have a pretty good reason to start reading all you can about Lyme disease, btw there is no "s" in lyme disease.
Here's what I did:
go to lymenet.org
click on Flash Discussions
then Medical Questions it's a large site filled with lymies and they offer tons and tons of support and info. There's a link called Newbie Links on the Medical Section. I would also suggest you post this very question there.
other sites to visit..ILADS.org canlyme.
(If this is a duplicate message from me, just ignore ... I thought I had responded.)
I'm not medically trained, but I had Lyme several years ago, and your symptoms are quite similar to what mine were ... but Lyme is tricky, so not everyone has the same list of indicators.
You ask: "so in your opinion what does my results say??? inconclusive? positive? negative?"
If you would provide the test results WITH asterisks as shown on the test, it will give us more data to comment on. It really does make a difference.
You say: "I am getting mixed opinions about igenex testing. Ive been told twice that most people would be positive under their criteria.
s not, because it is now known that the Lyme bacteria can and do *suppress* your immune system, and your immune system activity against a Lyme infection is exactly what the W.blot/ELISA tests look for. The test result of the W.blot/ELISA tests can then wrongly say that you have no antibodies against Lyme, and therefore do not have Lyme, when actually it may be that the Lyme bacteria are just not being located and reported on the test results.
More than you ever wanted to know, I'm sure ...
) and corresponding with people on different Lyme forums including this one, I convinced my GP to order a Lyme blood test. Unfortunately Canada uses the faulty 2-tiered Elisa blood test which has a very high inaccuracy rate. It came back Neg but I was still not convinced of those results. I then took the Igenex test and saw both a LLMD in the U.S and a LLND here in my own city. Both diagnosed me with Lyme and 2 co-infections (based on clinical diagnosis of symptoms backed up by lab work).
I had a mildly positive Western blot (can't locate the lab results at the moment) almost a year after I got sick, and then went to an LLMD for follow up, after the doc who ran the first test said I wasn't sick enough to actually have Lyme, and never mind the positive test result.
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