CD 57

[mama2alex]

Has anyone done the CD57 test, know how accurate it is, know of any good studies/articles on it?

 

I need to get tested, and am wondering if this would be a good first step, before shelling out the money for an out-of-network appointment with the LLMD who's seeing my son.

[justinekno]

I think you could try a search on the PANDAS site for CD57 and you would get some threads about it. I went the CD57 route and my number was low (20 something) but from what I understand, not all Lyme dr's feel it is a good indicator of Lyme. If you google CD57, there's a lot of info about it too. I guess since insurance usually pays for it, it's a good first step. I have a history of a tick bite (bulls eye rash) and symptoms despite being treated by doxy for 10 days 14 years ago so the CD57 test was just one more indicator that I should look into the possibility of Lyme still being with me

 

One thing to note, it's supposedly only appropriate for adults.

 

Has anyone done the CD57 test, know how accurate it is, know of any good studies/articles on it?

 

I need to get tested, and am wondering if this would be a good first step, before shelling out the money for an out-of-network appointment with the LLMD who's seeing my son.

 

Edited September 19, 2010 by justinekno

[MichaelTampa]

Yes, some lyme docs really think it's quite worthwhile and others don't. Klinghardt is one who seems to believe in it, below 100 showing you're struggling with lyme and below 60 showing mycoplasma is also involved, according to him.

 

I've had it 4 times, and have to say, the results have correlated well with symptoms and treatment and all that. I have a score of 30 before any lyme treatment, 54 after two months of IV antibiotics. Treatment had stopped just a couple days before the test, and I had improved a lot, but not completely. A score of 100 is thought to be high enough to get off lyme treatment without relapsing, while 200 is thought to be normal, so you might have thought I would relapse with that score. A month later, it was up to 70, and I continued to see improvement but still with symptoms. Then, a month after that, symptoms had returned and it was down to 27. Now, the symptoms with the score of 27 and a couple months off treatment are still better than before treatment, so the relapse is slow, and I hear different strains causes slower or faster relapses. I see the CD57 more as a sign of the direction things are going, how many natural killer cells you have available to fight the lyme, rather than how bad your symptoms are.

 

Michael

[mama2alex]

Thanks to you both for your responses! It sounds like it can be good to get a baseline CD57 if you suspect Lyme. Can other illnesses cause low CD57?

[justinekno]

I think I read HIV is the only other one.

 

 

Thanks to you both for your responses! It sounds like it can be good to get a baseline CD57 if you suspect Lyme. Can other illnesses cause low CD57?

 

[NewBeginnings]

Thanks to you both for your responses! It sounds like it can be good to get a baseline CD57 if you suspect Lyme. Can other illnesses cause low CD57?

 

 

 

 

I have also heard/read HIV and Mycoplasma pneumonia can.

[lyme_mom]

Thanks to you both for your responses! It sounds like it can be good to get a baseline CD57 if you suspect Lyme. Can other illnesses cause low CD57?

 

 

 

I have also heard/read HIV and Mycoplasma pneumonia can.

I think they are different cd cells that are related to hiv. I was told that the only infection that they know depresses the cd57 count is lyme. I have also heard that mold can help keep a lyme patient's cd57 low. A mold problem in the house can keep a lyme patient sick.

[Iowadawn]

Yes, some lyme docs really think it's quite worthwhile and others don't. Klinghardt is one who seems to believe in it, below 100 showing you're struggling with lyme and below 60 showing mycoplasma is also involved, according to him.

 

I've had it 4 times, and have to say, the results have correlated well with symptoms and treatment and all that. I have a score of 30 before any lyme treatment, 54 after two months of IV antibiotics. Treatment had stopped just a couple days before the test, and I had improved a lot, but not completely. A score of 100 is thought to be high enough to get off lyme treatment without relapsing, while 200 is thought to be normal, so you might have thought I would relapse with that score. A month later, it was up to 70, and I continued to see improvement but still with symptoms. Then, a month after that, symptoms had returned and it was down to 27. Now, the symptoms with the score of 27 and a couple months off treatment are still better than before treatment, so the relapse is slow, and I hear different strains causes slower or faster relapses. I see the CD57 more as a sign of the direction things are going, how many natural killer cells you have available to fight the lyme, rather than how bad your symptoms are.

 

Michael

Michael-

 

So how are you doing? I have missed posts from you telling what's up. You saw Dr.K at one time? How did you come to checking for lyme? Have you shared this dx with Dr.K. Our son was PANDAS and just last week got a lyme DX with Babesia & Bartonella. I told Dr. K. No response. How are you doing? dawn

[MichaelTampa]

Dawn,

 

I'm doing, these days, how would you say it, "so-so", I guess. I started considering lyme when lyme mom came on and discussed bartonella and lyme. Around that time, I was just about to start PANDAS treatment via Dr.K.'s recommendation, and did go ahead while awaiting IGeneX lyme test results. The biaxin helped a little and augmentin did not help at all. Then the lyme tests came back in a way that my doctor and I interpreted as positive (41+, 39 indeterminate, with low CD57). I let Dr.K. know we were exploring lyme but really don't know where I left off giving him the story of what was going on, but am now being treated by a lyme doc. The IV abx for two months really helped, but I am now relapsing slowly as we continue to seek insurance approval to start up the IV abx again. While I am relapsing, it is slow, and I am still doing well enough that I am able to work in an office with wireless routers and follow the meaning of sentences and conversations and have thoughts and communicate them (all key aspects of the job, obviously) and not have terrible headaches all the time, and I was not able to do that before the lyme treatment, so that is great. It is certainly a concern, though, how long I am going to be able to continue to do that if I don't get more abx.

 

Michael

[lyme_mom]

Dawn,

 

I'm doing, these days, how would you say it, "so-so", I guess. I started considering lyme when lyme mom came on and discussed bartonella and lyme. Around that time, I was just about to start PANDAS treatment via Dr.K.'s recommendation, and did go ahead while awaiting IGeneX lyme test results. The biaxin helped a little and augmentin did not help at all. Then the lyme tests came back in a way that my doctor and I interpreted as positive (41+, 39 indeterminate, with low CD57). I let Dr.K. know we were exploring lyme but really don't know where I left off giving him the story of what was going on, but am now being treated by a lyme doc. The IV abx for two months really helped, but I am now relapsing slowly as we continue to seek insurance approval to start up the IV abx again. While I am relapsing, it is slow, and I am still doing well enough that I am able to work in an office with wireless routers and follow the meaning of sentences and conversations and have thoughts and communicate them (all key aspects of the job, obviously) and not have terrible headaches all the time, and I was not able to do that before the lyme treatment, so that is great. It is certainly a concern, though, how long I am going to be able to continue to do that if I don't get more abx.

 

Michael

Hi Michael,

 

My sister has been very sick with lyme and our doctor suspected that something in her environment was keeping her sick with lyme. She had a mold sniffing dog go to her house and discovered that she has two forms of toxic mold in her house, the two worst kinds you can have. A couple symptoms she had were suggestive of a mold problem (eye pain was one that I remember). They had it removed and the vents cleaned and she is doing a lot better. Apparently mold in the house can interfere with a lyme or cancer patient's treatment. I know you have thoroughly researched all this stuff but wondered if you had heard about mold and lyme. Apparently this doctor has had a number of patients who were finally able to stop their antibiotics after getting rid of the mold in their home. I just had my house checked today just to be safe.The woman brought a dog that is trained to sniff out mold like a bomb sniffing dog. Fortunately she and her dog didn't much to worry about but we do not have the air samples back yet. We probably need to have our vents cleaned but that was all she said. Also, have you tried a rife machine yet? We hope to try one soon.

[MichaelTampa]

Yes, certainly heard of the mold, but haven't done anything about it yet. I have been spending a lot of energy lately on parasites/worms, really thinking that is part of what is going on, causing bad digestive symptoms when the colonoscopy came out clean, and my NAET acupuncturist keeps testing me as allergic to parasites and I can't get the allergy cleared like most do. That mold has been lurking in my mind as something I imagine I'll have to do something about, but just haven't gotten there yet.

 

I like the idea of the dog checking things out, hadn't heard of that idea yet, but a little confused on what you wrote. You would do that AND get air samples checked some other way? What is the other way?

 

Yes, I do have a rife machine, I believe it has helped a little, but not necessarily a real lot.