positive elisa test lyme

The Wblot/ELISA tests rely on your immune system reaction to determine whether you have a positive (+) test or a negative (-) test for Lyme. Sounds solid, but it turns out that the Lyme bacteria can suppress your immune system, with the result that the Wblot/ELISA tests showing negative ('no Lyme infection') could be wrong, and you could indeed have Lyme. There is a newer test called PCR, short for 'polymerase chain reaction'.

Ok listen my infectious diseases consultant orderd me a lyme blood test im in the UK what they do here is if the ELISA test comes positive they carry out a WESTERN BLOT now after speaking to the guys at the bloodtest unit he kinda gave it away that a westernblot was carried out so this means that the elisa came positive right?

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.

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.

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.

I also have peripheral neuropathy and fatigue - and have had 3 negative Lyme tests and finally got a positive ELISA at Johns Hopkins and then a positive IgM Western Blot thru Ignenex Labs, CA. I live on the east coast, so I had my blood Fed Exed to CA. It's that important, so please look into it. Take care and keep us posted.

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 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.

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.

(I went through *20* MDs before Dr #20 ran Lyme test, and when the test came back positive, the very nice doc assured me I could not possibly have Lyme, because I "didn't look sick enough." Riiiiiight. I took the positive test result to a Lyme specialist and got properly diagnosed and treated and back to good health.) Here are a couple of thoughts for your consideration (and remember, I'm not a doc, just a Lyme survivor! Yeah!

All of the many tests I had, which were the standard ELISA test fir Lyme (recognized by the CDC) were negative. Finally, I had a very knowledgeable and conscientious doctor, who recommended I get the Western Blot test (not recognized by the CDC). The western blot is much more accurate. The ELISA is reknowned for giving false negatives. I have encountered many physicians, who do not believe Lyme to be a real illness, or at least not chronic.

I remember you! I am thrilled for you. If your positive test was the ELISA or the Western Blot it is likely accurate. The ELISA is pretty reliable "when it is positive" but not very good at all when it is negative. The general recommendations to do a Western Blot only when the ELISA is positive, don't make much sense if someone is having symptoms highly suggestive of Lyme.

I'm sorry your wife has had such terrible problems and will keep a good thought for her that the cancer is gone is will stay away; l'm sure you have a good oncologist who will keep her on his/her radar. To the question about Lyme and testing. You asked: " Her main doctor is trying to figure out where to refer her to at MAYO. What are some questions to ask when we get there. How can it be confirmed that she doesn't have lyme?

I've heard of MDL and in the past they were the 'other' lab that people sent their Lyme blood work to. Recently I haven't heard too much about them, making me wonder if they've 'fallen out of favor' with Lymies. And if so, why? Or maybe I just haven't seen the references to them.

My Rheum ordered the test so that only if I were positive on my ELISA then I would get a Western blot test. I did not know a doctor could order the Western blot first and then ELISA.

8 years ago, I was had a Lyme test run by Igenex which was posted for IGM and negative for IGG. A month and a half later, the test was run again with the same results. I then went to a doctor back in my home state to refused to believe I had Lyme. He rad the test through his own labs (one that doesn't speclialize in Lyme testing) and both test results came back negative.

====================== (In a nutshell, the IGeneX test looks for Lyme DNA in your blood, which is a direct test -- either the Lyme DNA is there (a positive test result) or it is not (a negative test result). The other, older tests, W.blot/ELISA, use an indirect method of determining whether there is evidence of Lyme in your blood: the test looks for your immune system's reaction to Lyme bacteria. If there is no reaction from your immune system, the W.

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 ...

Positive elisa test lyme

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