Christianmom Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I just got my son's C3a and C4a complement tests back from Labcorp and they are both normal: c3a -- 69.6 (normal range 54-202) c4a -- 139.4 (normal range 0-650) This test was not run through the National Jewish Medical and Research Center Laboratory. As I understand it, since April of this year, Labcorp has a new c3a/c4a complement test and is no longer sending it to the Jewish Medical Laboratory. It was run through Labcorp's Burlington, NC office. Is that a problem? Also, what do these results mean? Do these normal values indicate that my son probably does not have chronic lyme? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuliaFaith Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 (edited) My son's doctor said the C3A was indicative of lyme. Another doctor whose book I read on 'mold illness' thought the numbers on this test actually should be 0-940 range. My son's test was 157 and he showed post-lyme on a DNA test that was done at the same time. Now on the C4A, my son's doctor said it showed 'mold' indicative numbers. The range I got from the book (not son's dr.) is 0-2830. Son's test number was 2632 which backed up doctor's diagnosis of mold being one of the issues my son is dealing with. Someone else on the forum said this test reflects other things as well, maybe inflammation. Hopefully, they will add to this post. His tests were run thru the Nat'l Jewish Medical. These took a while to get back 3-4 weeks and had to pay out-of-pocket. But these same tests are being run again, right now, and they are being run thru LABcorp. Hopefully insurance will cover these this time around and they will be accurate. Son has also been diagnosed with lyme, babesia, pnuemona (2), thyroid issues, sinus staph (hopefully gone), PANDAS, that is all I can remember at the moment. It looks like your son is showing activity in both of these which could give your doctor more information on treatment. Not sure if having numbers on either of these is a good thing, but they are relatively low, which cannot be a bad thing. Oh boy, sorry it has been a long week! Edited October 5, 2011 by JuliaFaith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philamom Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 (edited) Not saying I agree with this, but here is what Shoemaker said in a recent article about Lyme: "Tip-offs to presence of mold illness and not Lyme will be the absence of elevated C3a at any time." edit- forgot to mention that my daughter's labs were not elevated (c3a 115.2 - c4a 180.4). They also were done through Lab Corp and not the Jewish Lab. Edited October 5, 2011 by philamom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christianmom Posted October 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Hi Philamom. Thank you for posting. Here is the rest of that article by Dr. Shoemaker: "Tip-offs to presence of mold illness and not Lyme will be absence of elevated C3a at any time, especially after treatment for mold illness is completed. C4a will be high in both illnesses." My son's C3a and C4a were both normal. My understanding is that C3a normal/C4a high = mold; C3a high/C4a high = lyme. So therefore, c3a normal/c4a normal = neither lyme nor mold. Is that correct? Do you feel that your child has mold issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philamom Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 (edited) Hi Philamom. Thank you for posting. Here is the rest of that article by Dr. Shoemaker: "Tip-offs to presence of mold illness and not Lyme will be absence of elevated C3a at any time, especially after treatment for mold illness is completed. C4a will be high in both illnesses." My son's C3a and C4a were both normal. My understanding is that C3a normal/C4a high = mold; C3a high/C4a high = lyme. So therefore, c3a normal/c4a normal = neither lyme nor mold. Is that correct? Do you feel that your child has mold issues? Well, I definitely feel we are dealing with Lyme. We have numerous positive WB, Bart, RMSf results. Whether we are dealing with Lyme & Mold - I'm still trying to figure that one out. We had a few other labs done on Shoemaker's Sheet: VIP was low, TGF was very high, and MSH was low (marked critical), so it points to mold. I brought this info to my last LLMD appointment and he didn't think it was significant, except the HLA testing, which was abnormal. I did have some past flooding in my house and still have one leak that needs to be addressed (and maybe another). My dd's c3a & c4a were both normal. Edited October 5, 2011 by philamom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philamom Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I also recall reading somewhere on his website (I think) that C3a is elevated in acute lyme disease but lowers into the normal range when lyme becomes chronic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christianmom Posted October 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I also recall reading somewhere on his website (I think) that C3a is elevated in acute lyme disease but lowers into the normal range when lyme becomes chronic. That makes sense. But why the normal C4a if your child has mold? I'm wondering if the problem is this new test that is being run through Labcorp instead of through the Jewish Hospital. Maybe it isn't accurate. Is anyone getting positive results on this "new" C4a complement test through Labcorp? (You will know if you had the new one done if your hospital had to order a "kit" from Labcorp before drawing the blood. You will also know by how quickly the test comes back--3 or 4 days.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philamom Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 (edited) I also recall reading somewhere on his website (I think) that C3a is elevated in acute lyme disease but lowers into the normal range when lyme becomes chronic. That makes sense. But why the normal C4a if your child has mold? I'm wondering if the problem is this new test that is being run through Labcorp instead of through the Jewish Hospital. Maybe it isn't accurate. Is anyone getting positive results on this "new" C4a complement test through Labcorp? (You will know if you had the new one done if your hospital had to order a "kit" from Labcorp before drawing the blood. You will also know by how quickly the test comes back--3 or 4 days.) Well, when I had it done in June it was suppose to be through the Jewish lab. Lab Corp messed up. I contacted Shoemaker's website and they replied it needed to be done with the Jewish Lab. But, I just looked on his website and notice he is now recommending Quest C3a & C4a RIA (not Futhan). This was updated in August. Edited October 5, 2011 by philamom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familyof5 Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 I did just get some c4a results back for some members of my family (all mold illness sufferers)--done by Shoemaker. The upper limit of the range for c4a is somewhere around 2800, not 960. Maybe the wrong C4a test was run and that is why it is coming back normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobbiemommy Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 Both of our numbers came back high. We found mold in our house (not just a little bit) and had to do a lot of work to get rid of it. Son is taking Cholestyramine twice a day to help rid his body of the mold/lyme mycotoxins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philamom Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 I did just get some c4a results back for some members of my family (all mold illness sufferers)--done by Shoemaker. The upper limit of the range for c4a is somewhere around 2800, not 960. Maybe the wrong C4a test was run and that is why it is coming back normal? Was it from the Jewish lab? Quest? thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familyof5 Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 who is treating your son? All my children are on cholestyramine too. What are your son's symptoms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familyof5 Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 I did just get some c4a results back for some members of my family (all mold illness sufferers)--done by Shoemaker. The upper limit of the range for c4a is somewhere around 2800, not 960. Maybe the wrong C4a test was run and that is why it is coming back normal? Was it from the Jewish lab? Quest? thx Just looked it up...Quest Diagnostics, full name of test on lab result is: NJC-C4a, C4a. The normal range is 0-2830. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philamom Posted October 6, 2011 Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 I did just get some c4a results back for some members of my family (all mold illness sufferers)--done by Shoemaker. The upper limit of the range for c4a is somewhere around 2800, not 960. Maybe the wrong C4a test was run and that is why it is coming back normal? Was it from the Jewish lab? Quest? thx Just looked it up...Quest Diagnostics, full name of test on lab result is: NJC-C4a, C4a. The normal range is 0-2830. Thank you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christianmom Posted October 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2011 Just looked it up...Quest Diagnostics, full name of test on lab result is: NJC-C4a, C4a. The normal range is 0-2830. Looked NJC-C4a up at Quest's website. Looks like this test goes through the Jewish Center. I'll be looking into having the test re-done. Thank you all ao much! I don't know where my son would be without this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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