Dr Cunningham's blood test to check auto immune system

[kg5123]

Soon, My son is to have his blood drawn under Dr. Cunningham's pilot study in which CaM kinase II will be evaluated to check if the patient's problem is related to auto-immune defects.

Are there anyone familiar with this blood test? Spedically, my question is whether or not certain results from the test can competely rule out a patient's being with PANDA. Another question is whether or not certain results from the test can completely confirm that a patient is PANDAS.

Thank you very much.

 

KG5123

[Buster]

Hi KG5123,

 

The short summary is that the study is a research study and not a diagnostic test. It probably adds to the weight of other clinical presentations, but there frankly isn't enough data yet to know the specificity/accuracy of the test. What they are showing is that in a prior group of kids, those with SC and PANDAS symptoms had elevated CaM Kinase II activation.

 

So no, the tests can't completely rule out or confirm anything. That's why they're doing additional trials to see what the correlation is with children thought to have SC or PANDAS.

 

Regards,

 

Buster

 

Soon, My son is to have his blood drawn under Dr. Cunningham's pilot study in which CaM kinase II will be evaluated to check if the patient's problem is related to auto-immune defects.

Are there anyone familiar with this blood test? Spedically, my question is whether or not certain results from the test can competely rule out a patient's being with PANDA. Another question is whether or not certain results from the test can completely confirm that a patient is PANDAS.

Thank you very much.

 

KG5123

[dee45]

Thank Buster,

your explanations always appreciated. We just sent off the test today and I had a simailar question so thanks!!

 

Deanna