CD57 Results

[Christianmom]

Hi everyone,

 

My son, 16, just had the HNK1 (CD57) Panel run through LabCorp. From my understanding the significant number is the:

 

Abs. CD8-CD57 + Lympha = 100

 

My son has been on antibiotics for 7 months--mostly Biaxin which I know is used for lyme as well as PANDAS. So I would assume the number would have perhaps been lower 7 months ago when my son was originally diagnosed with PANDAS. Is that correct?

 

Also, his hemoglobin and hematoorit were a little (very little) high. Everything else was normal.

 

Could someone help interpret? We are awaiting IgeneX test results.

 

Thank you.

[sf_mom]

Your son's results are borderline for Chronic Lyme.

 

I can provide an example of a little boys CD57 results while undergoing treatment for PANDAS/Lyme. One year PANDAS treatment, 3 hdIVIGs... Discovered Bartonella/Ehrlichiosis last June and was IND for Lyme. When initially tested a year ago his CD57 was 87. When diagnosed and treated for Bartonella/Ehrlichiosis CD57 dropped into 50.... 'worse before better' due to treatment. As he improved and recovered from all TICS/OCD his CD57 went into the 200s. He still has some minor issues associated with Bartonella/Lyme. He has been treated for Bartonella almost one year and will most likely start cyst form of treatment for Lyme soon.

 

I would also do a complete viral panel via your LLMD since your son was positive for Band 66. I suspect there might be a virus involved that is holding him back from seeing further progress. Hope that helps. Hopefully others will chime in with their own experience with CD57s.

 

-Wendy

[Christianmom]

Thank you (again), Wendy. You have been a great help and encouragement to me. What is a complete viral panel? Is that an IgeneX test? I have an appointment in June with a lyme doctor with a good reputation in my area and I will ask about this.

[ShaesMom]

Taken from Burrascano's treatment guidelines 10/08 http://www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf

 

 

THE CD-57 TEST

Our ability to measure CD-57 counts represents a breakthrough in LB diagnosis and treatment.

Chronic LB infections are known to suppress the immune system and can decrease the quantity of the CD-57

subset of the natural killer cells. As in HIV infection, where abnormally low T-cell counts are routinely used as a

marker of how active that infection is, in LB we can use the degree of decrease of the CD-57 count to indicate

how active the Lyme infection is and whether, after treatment ends, a relapse is likely to occur. It can even be

used as a simple, inexpensive screening test, because at this point we believe that only Borrelia will depress

the CD-57. Thus, a sick patient with a high CD-57 is probably ill with something other than Lyme, such as a coinfection.

When this test is run by LabCorp (the currently preferred lab, as published studies were based on their

assays), we want our Lyme patients to measure above 60; a normal count is above 200. There generally is

some degree of fluctuation of this count over time, and the number does not progressively increase as

treatment proceeds. Instead, it remains low until the LB infection is controlled, and then it will jump. If the CD-

57 count is not in the normal range when a course of antibiotics is ended, then a relapse will almost certainly

occur

[sf_mom]

There is a viral panel that will look for titers for several herpes viruses and Epstein Bar, etc. HHV6, Coxsackies 'Foot and Mouth', XMRV are common viruses found problematic for individuals with Lyme. My twins are positive for both HHV6 and very high titers for Coxsackie's. They were never tested for XMRV. They are on an anti-viral protocol to help. Coxsackies and XMRV have their own individual tests. The test for XMRV I understand is fairly costly. Most pick it up through ART Muscle testing. Minimally, you'll want to know if there is a virus present and to then focus on anti-viral protocol along with antibiotic treatment.

 

-Wendy