IGenEx test confusion

Indeterminate means exposure, and your body is recognizing it, but not a strong enough response to be a positive.
How long have you had symptoms?

A LLMD will diagnose you based on your history of symptoms, your exposure to ticks, whether or not you had a tick-bite and a bulls-eye rash, and lastly the testing to back up the diagnosis. He/She will do a clinical diagnosis.

You don't need a positive WB test to be clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Also, the CD-57 is also a good indicator.

So, do you have a LLMD yet? If not, and you need help finding one, start a new thread, titled: "Looking for LLMD in the state of ___________" and fill in the blank.

The Western Blot is confusing. Those with chronic Lyme have a hard time testing positive as it's looking for antibodies that the Lyme infection keeps the body from producing by hiding inside of our cells, joints, tissues and other places.

here is the site that I use to help interpret them:www.reocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/western-blot.txt

An IgM result means that you have an active infection. It once was thought to mean an 'early' infection, but has since been revised. IgG means that the infection is at a later stage.

The more +'s you have beside a number, the stronger the reaction.

IND means indeterminate - not negative, but not quite strong enough to be "fully positive". But it means that you reacted on those bands and should be considered, especially when they are Lyme specific bands.

A "Lyme specific band" means specific for Borrelia Burgdorferi, sensu stricto - Lyme disease in the strictest sense. There is only one on the over 300 known strains of Lyme that is considered Bb, ss.


Bands 18 & 41 (whether in IgM or IgG) are indicative of the tail of the bacteria, which can cross react with other Spirochetal bacteria such as Relapsing Fever, Pintas and Yaws, and Syphilis.

Band 58 is thought to be Borrelia Afzelii (a European strain if I remember correctly).

Band 39 refers to BmpA - Bacterial Membrane Protein "A" and is specific for Lyme.

Band 30 is OspA - Outer Surface Protein "A".

So you've had one band for sure that is Lyme specific turn up IND- which as I said, means that it's a weak positive is all. That can only be from Lyme bacteria, so you have Lyme - especially when you consider the other lab evidence.

Traveler, how do you know band 58+ is Borrelia Afzelii? If that is the case I must have that since I have band 58+.

I thought it was a heat shock protein. Did a little research and found some places said it's more likely related to a coinfection, other places say "significantly related to tick borne disease", other places say even e.coli can cause a 58 band to be positive. Another doc said it is 80-90% representative for lyme.

I'm curious to know as I had that band.

traveler - when people have asked me about WB interpretation, i have forwarded them this link. it is simpler than yours, but would you say its ok to follow? please let me know, thanks!

http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/wb.html

Thanks Traveler! and sorry about your migraine - hate those!

awe, I'm curious, what do you do to get rid of it? I take one Tylenol extra strength and 1/3 tablet of Excedrin tension headache. Sometimes I have to take a second dose when it's really bad, but it usually works if I take it early enough!

Chapelle—

My headaches and dull migraines are a cue to me that I'm overloaded and I need to increase detox. So I'll usually throw back an extra course of my herb cocktail (milk thistle seeds, burdock root, pinella, Burbur, parsley), go ride my bike if I can (work up a sweat) and drink an extra dose of some bentonite clay, do some dry brushing, cry a little bit—heh!

-p