web site linking lab work to illness?
 

I had a lot of lab today, all greek to me. I was wondering if there is any kind of web site that gives possible illnesses that that lab test may be ordered for?

what lab test did you have done?

I wonder if they just ordered many lab tests to see what results come up , and then they see if it matches with something..

I had a positive sed rate and ANA before and that's why I was sent to the rheumy. So this is what he ordered

Sed rate (custom) I don't know if this is different than regular sed rate
C-reactive protein (custom)
Aldolase (custom)
Anti Neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (custom)
Immunofixation electrophoresis (custom)
Immunoglobulins IGG IGA IGM (Custom)

I have no idea what this custom means

He said he doesn't need a follow up unless there is something abnormal in the lab work

The very last one kind of makes me wonder if they're looking for some sort of infection. I'm not a medical person, but I think IgG is a test for active/acute infections. I think IgM is a titer for previous infections.


The google tells me that "Immunofixation electrophoresis" looks for abnormal proteins and is supposed to help in diagnosing illnesses. Doesnt say what specific diseases tho. The site I clicked on seems to just be giving the basic info.


The Anti Neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody looks for antibodies for autoimmune diseases apparently.

Aldolase is apparently a test for muscle or liver damage.

C-reactive protein is apparently to look for inflammatory conditions.

I think the Sed rate is another test to look for inflammatory conditions.

Sounds like the doctor wants to either diagnose or monitor an inflammatory condition of some sort. Again, I'm not a medical person, I'm just good at googling things.

immunofixation and immunoglobulins are looking for long chain antibodies that the body makes which can then clog the blood, reducing blood flow to the fingers/hands, toes/feet, which can reduce circulation there.

MGUS is one condition that can be identified. Severe elevations of certain ones indicate multiple myeloma, but modest elevations are more likely to cause peripheral neuropathies. Some of our PN posters have MGUS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoclo...d_significance

The fixation test is a chromatography showing bands of proteins that are put past an electrical field to separate them out.
The most common band shows MGUS (elevated IgM.)

These tests are more specific than sed rate or C-reactive protein, because they identify specific antibodies in the blood.
The sed rate and C-reactive show general inflammation, but not where it is coming from.

Lab Tests Online has a ton of information on different lab tests. You can search the tests that they are doing. Also, they give information on different diseases/illnesses and tests associated with that.

http://labtestsonline.org/

I worked in a lab for years...but have been out of it for a long time; so, my best idea is that you either have the doc explain it to you (more likely he has a "custom" profile within the lab...something he looks for especially, within a typical profile), or you can ask for assistance within his office. Usually, the office folk (his assistant or nurse) can explain the differences to you.

While the fancy immunoglobulin tests are nice to have today,
they don't cover "everything"... not all antibodies have been discovered or labeled yet.
The panel for the PN blood testing tests for:
This is a list of the tests Dr. Latov uses to find PN triggers.

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/test...ripheralNeurop
Some of your tests are on this panel, as autoimmune disease is a cause of PN.

But not all antibodies have been discovered yet. We've had some PNers test neg on everything and still have body wide pain. But it is a start compared to when I began having PN
3 decades ago!

Wow...that's a lot of testing.

Let us know what you find out...:hug:


guess it's a good idea to ask "Hey, what are all these trying to find out?"

I was thinking that the 'custom' had something to do with the computer system the office uses. He sat there and entered the labs himself. As far as what he was looking for he just said further identify the inflammatory process

custom might mean a "detailed" report as opposed to just
a general value reported.

MrsD and all, I have MGUS. They tested me for this when I was undergoing further testing for Polycythemia Vera. It is much more common than PV or Porphyria, which I also have.
In fact, my doctor has it. In our cases, she says, our MGUS is so mild that we may never get Multiple Myeloma. But there you go, one more disease for me. I do have Peripheral Neuropathy, especially in my feet. It improved when I went for p32 (radioactive phosphorus) to Mayo Scottsdale in March. But now my platelets are rising again, and I am supposed to contact the radiation oncologist at Mayo if they go up to 800. Climbing slowly, though, so may be a while.
I have read from Dr. Spivak, famous hematologist at Johns Hopkins, that the main problem with platelets is not their number but their aggragation. I am thinking of getting an aggregation test, for which I'll have to go to a teaching hospital, to see if I really need the platelet reduction. My platelets were l,500,000 in February, came down to about 350,000 and now are 635,000.
I thus have four disease which can cause PN, and I am still walking--went out for half an hour's walk after dark tonight.

Incidentally, I find it interesting to consider if this problem is related to the "slow moving red cells" which Dr. Swank found in MS. In his test for MS, he puts a drop of oil on one's blood sample under a microscope, and if the oil slows the movement of cells, he thinks this is suggestive of MS. In fact, he dx'd my blood this way; I already had a dx from MRI and VER, but wanted to see him in person. I have been on his diet for over 25 years, with one deviation, eating a few more eggs than he recommended. If I get off it, symptoms get worse dramatically.