CD57 Numbers..

Hi Everyone:

I also post on the Medhelp forum but am posting here to because it seems there are more people on this forum and I'm anxious to hear opinions.

I was DX with Lyme in January 2011 after a year of crazy symptoms (all neuro) of tingling/vibrating, trembling, electric type shock through body once, numbness in foot/toes, face, twitching everywhere, on and on.... My symptoms starting right after my gallbladder surgery.

I got a lab test from Igenex. My results were as follows:

IGG Result positive with Bands: 31++, 41++ and 58+
IGM Neg with Bands: 31 IND, 34IND, 41+, 58+ and 83-93IND

Co-infection of ehrlichiosis showed postive with a Titer of 1:80

I am seeing a top LLMD in San Francisco (Dr. S) and he said I definitely have lyme and started me on ABX (amox 2000 Mg per day and Biaxin 1000 mg per day). I was on the abx and less than a week later, all my symptoms just vanished. They remained gone for a good amount of time. Although I can't really remember, I would say 3-4 weeks with occasional flairs of pulsating in left leg after that. The last week though, the pulsating is almost constant and is getting me really worried.

One of my worries (besides the return of the pulsating leg) is because my CD57 number was 100 and this was based on a blood test I had BEFORE starting the ABX. Most people I've read about with lyme have much lower CD57 numbers and 100 can be considered actually to be normal I think.

I'm worried that somehow my Igenex test was wrong and that I don't have Lyme and do have MS. (I've spent the last year thinking I have MS). I've had many many tests for MS and the only problem was my first MRI showed 20 small and scattered lesions NOT typical for MS. My neuro asked me if I'd had Lyme disease when he saw my MRI. I said no, because at the time, I didn't know. Then, I had many many other tests and MS was ruled out. However, I STILL worry about it and think that I have it and that my Igenex test maybe was a false positive.

I know this all sounds crazy but my anxiety is getting the best of me. Also, I keep reading stories of others with Lyme and I've read so many that say they have been on ABX for years with no resolution and others that say as soon as they stop the meds, all their symptoms come back. I haven't read too many stories of people that have gotten completely better...

When my symptoms dissapeared shortly after beginning ABX, I thought, wow..a miracle and felt so good.

Anyway, sorry to be long winded...

I would appreciate any feedback and thank you for your time.

Carrie

Oh and the CD57 is not used by all LLMD's - some do not use it because they do not see it as a reliable marker for Lyme. I think if the CD57 is low, that it is a good indication of Lyme, but like all other tests for Lyme, a higher CD57 does not rule out Lyme.

Hi.  I read that CD57 results are skewed when you have certain co-infection.  So if the ehrlichia is targeted first, your CD57 would likely go lower after that successful treatment.