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Do strep and mycoplasma cross react?


Guest fr88

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Can mycoplasma pneumonaie cross react with strep pyogenes?

 

Meaning can the anti-brain anti-bodies that Cunningham measures in response to strep also rise in response to mycoplasma p?

 

If you have a positive mycoplasma result, is it really positive or is it just cross reactivity which is interfering with the test?

Edited by fr88
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I'm not sure there are answers to these questions. Could be that's what they're trying to determine in their research. Maybe someone on here knows more about that side of the studies.

 

Mycoplasmas in general are nasty. I've done some research on the Internet, and it seems to me that there are just a lot of questions still out there about it. I think doctors are just used to prescribing abx for bacteria and assuming that it's gone within the allotted prescription. I suspect that if you started talking to a doctor about mycoplasma having the ability to go intracellular and hide that their eye-rolling reflex would kick in with a mighty hmmmph following. Grrr.

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Cunnigham's test is not exclusive to strep.I don't think I've ever read on here about false positive Mycoplasma tests. Here is one post I found interesting when I read it and bookmarked it for further reference if I should ever need it....

 

 

 

Here is something I found on the LabCorp site about Mycoplasma testing. I'm not a doctor by any means, but if I read this right, the IgM number can be absent during a re-infection, so just because the IgG number is positive does not mean that they are not currently having issue with it?? (see last sentence) Anyone else reading that like I am?"A positive result indicates prior exposure to Mycoplasma. A single positive IgG result may be present in the absence of any clinical symptoms as specific IgG antibodies may remain elevated long after initial infection. Recent or acute infection can only be documented by a positive Mycoplasma IgM result and/or a significant increase in the IgG value between sera drawn two to four weeks apart. Specific IgM antibodies may persist for several months after infection or be absent during reinfection."

Edited by Vickie
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According to this article- They cross react- http://www.roadback.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=education.display&display_id=129

 

 

 

Cunnigham's test is not exclusive to strep.I don't think I've ever read on here about false positive Mycoplasma tests. Here is one post I found interesting when I read it and bookmarked it for further reference if I should ever need it....

 

 

 

Here is something I found on the LabCorp site about Mycoplasma testing. I'm not a doctor by any means, but if I read this right, the IgM number can be absent during a re-infection, so just because the IgG number is positive does not mean that they are not currently having issue with it?? (see last sentence) Anyone else reading that like I am?"A positive result indicates prior exposure to Mycoplasma. A single positive IgG result may be present in the absence of any clinical symptoms as specific IgG antibodies may remain elevated long after initial infection. Recent or acute infection can only be documented by a positive Mycoplasma IgM result and/or a significant increase in the IgG value between sera drawn two to four weeks apart. Specific IgM antibodies may persist for several months after infection or be absent during reinfection."

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I'm not sure I should be replying because I am so new with this infection, but I thought this might be of interest to you. My son tested negative for mycoplasma two months ago and had a high ASO and DNase. He was treated for the high ASO by Dr. T and new blood work was done a couple of weeks ago because my son was not responsive to a 30-day prednisone taper (80mg.).

 

In the new blood work his ASO was normal (240 went down to 170) but his DNase went even higher (315 to 340) and he tested positive for mycoplasma (105). Dr. T said the blood work is showing that the group A strep is gone but that there is an ongoing mycoplasma infection. (He also said that other types of strep are showing as still present because of the DNASE being high and the ASO low. He said an ASO test is specific to Group A strep but DNASE is not--it shows just that some type of strep is present.) He switched my son's antibiotic to clindamycin for 30 days and wants to run more blood work in a month. He also ordered the Cunningham test in a month (have to wait a month because my son just came off prednisone) as well as a CBC (complete blood count--I suppose to rule out any other hiding infection).

 

He compared my son's results to a yeast infection. In other words, you treat one bacterial infection--say bronchitis for example--and you get a yeast infection as a result. The yeast infection was there all along, but was not causing you problems. But when you tried to treat bronchitis, the yeast (another bacterial infection) tried to fight the antibiotic so it could live so it become more active than ever. So in other words, the mycoplasma was there, but it wasn't detectable until my son was put on an antiobitic for the group a strep.

 

He also said that the results on any of these tests are averages and each person is different. In other words, a low number for mycoplasma on my son's first test may have been a high number (i.e. positive) for my son. Every person is different. He said the only way to truly see if an infection is active is to see if the numbers rise--which my son's did.

 

I also asked, since he was ordering the Cunningham test, if it would show a reaction for any PITAND disease, including mycoplasma, and he said "yes."

 

Please excuse my ignorance if some of this doesn't make sense. It is not a reflection of Dr. T. He tried hard to explain it to me.

 

Also, I thought it might be of interest to you that he prefers high dose steroids, over PEX over IVIG. After treating the mycoplasma infection he said we will probably move to high dose steroids. He wants to see the results of the Cunningham test first though.

 

Thank you for posting. You have been a big help and encouragement to me.

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I'm not sure I should be replying because I am so new with this infection, but I thought this might be of interest to you. My son tested negative for mycoplasma two months ago and had a high ASO and DNase. He was treated for the high ASO by Dr. T and new blood work was done a couple of weeks ago because my son was not responsive to a 30-day prednisone taper (80mg.).

 

In the new blood work his ASO was normal (240 went down to 170) but his DNase went even higher (315 to 340) and he tested positive for mycoplasma (105). Dr. T said the blood work is showing that the group A strep is gone but that there is an ongoing mycoplasma infection. (He also said that other types of strep are showing as still present because of the DNASE being high and the ASO low. He said an ASO test is specific to Group A strep but DNASE is not--it shows just that some type of strep is present.) He switched my son's antibiotic to clindamycin for 30 days and wants to run more blood work in a month. He also ordered the Cunningham test in a month (have to wait a month because my son just came off prednisone) as well as a CBC (complete blood count--I suppose to rule out any other hiding infection).

 

He compared my son's results to a yeast infection. In other words, you treat one bacterial infection--say bronchitis for example--and you get a yeast infection as a result. The yeast infection was there all along, but was not causing you problems. But when you tried to treat bronchitis, the yeast (another bacterial infection) tried to fight the antibiotic so it could live so it become more active than ever. So in other words, the mycoplasma was there, but it wasn't detectable until my son was put on an antiobitic for the group a strep.

 

He also said that the results on any of these tests are averages and each person is different. In other words, a low number for mycoplasma on my son's first test may have been a high number (i.e. positive) for my son. Every person is different. He said the only way to truly see if an infection is active is to see if the numbers rise--which my son's did.

 

I also asked, since he was ordering the Cunningham test, if it would show a reaction for any PITAND disease, including mycoplasma, and he said "yes."

 

Please excuse my ignorance if some of this doesn't make sense. It is not a reflection of Dr. T. He tried hard to explain it to me.

 

Also, I thought it might be of interest to you that he prefers high dose steroids, over PEX over IVIG. After treating the mycoplasma infection he said we will probably move to high dose steroids. He wants to see the results of the Cunningham test first though.

 

Thank you for posting. You have been a big help and encouragement to me.

Is the elvated Mycoplasma IgG or IgM? I haved asked three PANDAS doctors and one LLMD their opinion on an elevated Mycoplasma P IgG. Two say it's not relevant, one say's maybe, and the other say's yes...it should be treated.

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Thanks for that article! It's a good one.

 

 

According to this article- They cross react- http://www.roadback.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=education.display&display_id=129

 

 

 

Cunnigham's test is not exclusive to strep.I don't think I've ever read on here about false positive Mycoplasma tests. Here is one post I found interesting when I read it and bookmarked it for further reference if I should ever need it....

 

 

 

Here is something I found on the LabCorp site about Mycoplasma testing. I'm not a doctor by any means, but if I read this right, the IgM number can be absent during a re-infection, so just because the IgG number is positive does not mean that they are not currently having issue with it?? (see last sentence) Anyone else reading that like I am?"A positive result indicates prior exposure to Mycoplasma. A single positive IgG result may be present in the absence of any clinical symptoms as specific IgG antibodies may remain elevated long after initial infection. Recent or acute infection can only be documented by a positive Mycoplasma IgM result and/or a significant increase in the IgG value between sera drawn two to four weeks apart. Specific IgM antibodies may persist for several months after infection or be absent during reinfection."

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Here are the eaxact results of my son's two mycoplasma tests:

First test: IgG <100, IgM <770 (both are negative results)

Second test: IgG 105, IgM <770 (IgG positive result, IgM negative result)

 

Dr. T said since the test is kind of obscure because what does <100 mean? In other words, did my son score a 1 (indicating a very strong negative) or a 99 (indicating almost a postive) on the IgG test? He also said that each child is different. In other words, a 90 might be a negative result for the average child but might be a positive result for my child. He was much more concerned in the fact that the IgG number was rising than in the fact that the original IgG number had been a negative result. His exact words to me were that the second set of mycoplasma test "suggest an ongoing [mycoplasma] infection."

 

He is treating the mycoplasma with 30 days of clindamycin 600 mg. He wants another blood test for mycoplasma (and other blood work) in a month.

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Christianmom-

I agree the titer going up is more significant, although that is a very small amount, and I don't know how much variation on these tests day to day - but I'm sure there must be some.

 

My son's IgG was 2450...yes. you are reading that correct.

 

Here is what the report from out lab says regarding ranges:

0-99 neg

100-320 incomclusive

320 and higher - positive

 

"The reference interval established is inteded as a baseline only. Values over 100 may indicate a recentinfection with mycoplasm and need to be confirmeed with either a positive IgM result and / or an additional specimen drawn 2-4 weeks later showing a significant increase in antibody levels"

 

I had two doctors (one bing Dr K) say that the IgG doens't mean anything - it jsut showed HAD an infection, and the tier can stay high for months, maybe even years (they didn't knwo). BUT I also had a LLMD tell me Saturday when he sees astronomically high IgG's like this and no IgM, to him it indicates an active longer term infection. The IgM just doesn't' react anymore.

 

There is another test called a PCR test, but don't think it is that widely available. We haven't doe it.

 

My son was on full strength azith for a year before this blood was taken.

 

The only symptom he ever had was an unproductive cough. He did not have a cough when this blood was taken. He was never brought to the doctor for any of these coughs - they were minor- but they did last for a while. No fever or other symptoms. We only did the test to rule out Mycoplasma, (I felt I should have doen Myco P and Lyme tests prior to IVIG and was doing them after the fact to make sure we are on the right antibiotics), so finding IgG titers for it in those high amounts after a year of azith was shocking.

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No, my son did not have the typical mycoplasma symptoms. But he has never had symptoms of strep either--no fever, sore throat, cough. As far as we knew, he had never had strep. Up until two months ago I can only remember two days in his life when he was even sick enough to miss school. He is considered to have asymptomatic (no symptoms) strep. His only symptoms were the sudden onset of severe OCD and weight lose (not sure if the weight lose was do to infection or the OCD). We spoke with a counselor about my son's OCD and and the counselor suggested we read literature on OCD. The literature suggested having a strep test done. When we did, he passed the rapid throat test but his ASO was high. Through the internet we found out about PANDAS and through a PANDAS forum we were recommended to Dr. T. Dr. T said my son has a classic case of PANDAS.

 

 

I agree the rise wasn't alot, but I do trust the doctor's opinion because he has seen many, many PANDAS patients. He has also treated many patients with mycoplasma-type PANDAS and is known for his close reading and handling of blood work. Anyway, I am willing to try a month of antibiotics and to take another blood test in a month before going to something as strong as high-dose IV steroids, IVIG, or plasma exchange. My son's dbase tests was still high as well in the second lab test, though his ASO was back to normal. Dr. T wants to see that number go down too before we look into stronger treatments.

 

I will try to remember to post the results of his blood work after a month for those that might be interested. He will be getting ASO, anti-DNase, mycoplasma, Cunningham, and CBC tests.

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