Western Blot - changes

I had my first Western blot in 2016. I have had at least 6 WB tests through Labcorp, as my current doc always runs the tick disease tests when she orders labs. Every WB I have had has been positive on band 41 - until now. The test I had a month ago was completely negative.

I realize that Labcorp isn’t the best for a Western blot, but the fact that I have had repeated tests over a 4+ year period and have been positive on band 41 for all of them until now seems significant.

I had a phone appointment with my doctor today, and I asked about it. She didn’t seem to think much of it. She said something about mold could suppress immune, etc.

That explanation doesn’t fly IMO, for numerous reasons. I have gotten sufficiently out of exposure. My CD-57 quickly jumped after getting out of mold exposure months ago from 34 to 77. This last test, it dropped a bit to 72. My TGFB-1 (major mold marker was 1,237 - lowest ever and well below CIRS levels). Other CIRS labs tested at this time - MMP-9, C3a, C4a, MSH. All were normal except MSH, which is still very low at 14. Even when in mold exposure multiple times and with high CIRS markers, band 41 was still positive.

Also, my immunoglobulins have improved a little - still low normal but slight improvements. Also chlamydia pneumonia IGM was negative for the first time. I don’t even know how that happened. IGG is high again but IGM is negative.

All that negates the idea that immune suppression from mold would cause Lyme antibodies to be all negative.

Am I reading too much into this? Why is band 41 suddenly gone? If my immune system was stronger and normalizing, wouldn’t I have more positive bands instead of less?

Band 41 represents a spirochete - maybe there’s a lot of people with periodontal disease?

IDK

WbF - I’d be tempted to do another WB and see if the results change.

Most places read the blots by hand. I suspect if you lined up all your western blots in a row you would not be able to tell which one was the most recent. A few places like MDL read them by machines which is a bit more accurate I suspect.

I think subjective and the dental spiro. My husband had some redness around a crown and had dental swab done. He had moderate amounts of trepodema which is the spiro (plus other bad bacterias). He had no pain just some occasional bleeding with brushing/flossing.

I’ve had countless labcorp wb’s and three have been totally neg. Once had 18 and a few other times 41. I wouldn’t pay any attention to it.