What else causes low CD57?

[Todd36]

it seems like there are a lot of people with questions related to CD57.  It would be nice to have a doctor give an overview of the marker, eh?

anyway, i got my CD57 back today and I clocked in at 40 but I'm still waiting on western blot.  My dr said that it wasn't that low but it was lower than average.  The scientific literature says 60-360 is the normal range.  My white blood cell count is normal, EMG and NCS are normal, brain and C-spine MRI normal, and neurological exams are normal, but I'm still dealing with strange, diffuse pain and muscle twitching with the recent development of eye and throat pressure.

Besides lyme disease, what else does a low CD57 point to?  I know it can be low for HIV but that's out of the quesiton for me as I've been married for 10, and I had an HIV test before I was married and I haven't have blood transfusion.  SO...what else does a supressed CD57 indicate?  High CD57 is indicative of cancer, but low????

your input is appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd

[Alaska_Fatigue]

I've had lyme disease for 8 years and found out 7 months ago. I've done 3  CD57 lymphocytes tests, the first 2 came back at 5 and the latest was 2.
My doc is very knowledgeable about lyme and is a member of ILADS. She plans to go to the ILADS conference next month in San Diego.
My symptoms aren't as bad as others I've heard of, mainly joint pain and fatigue, so I've been doing oral antibiotics. Doxy and flagyl for 3 months with no improvement, and now zithromax and tindamax for 4 months with no improvement. About to try Bicillin LA shots next.

If you can afford it, I would really recommend tindamax over flagyl for killing the cyst form of lyme. It's a second generation flagyl and the side effects are a lot less. It hasn't been out long enough for a generic is the problem.

This site has takeaway info from past ILADS conferences.
http://www.betterhealthguy.com/ilads-2012-boston-conference-takeaways

[cave76]

It seems it is now! (grin)

Curious that you happened upon this thread just minutes after I posted in another thread:

"About the CD57 test----- if you have to pay for it out of pocket, I'd save the money.  Before taking it, if you do, ask yourself why  so many people have a 'normal' test result while feeling like death warmed over. Then ask yourself why so many who have almost NO symptoms have tests results that are near zero."

But coincidences DO occurs, I know.

This thread is full of conjecture and mis-information about the CD57 NK cells.

One of the responders on this old thread is a person who relies on LymeMD as the source of all wisdom who said in his blog:

"Unfortunately, I am left with the conclusion that it has been of very little help to my patients."

Hmmm.

http://lymemd.blogspot.com/2009/01/cd57.html

Read the entire entry on his blog.

Then go to other forums and read all the varied responses that people have about the CD57. I have------ in toto------ throughout the years. It does seem as if physicians have only read Stricker's article once and believed it and never once read what the patients report. Even Burrascano waffled a bit on it. Just a bit, but how could he waffle more since he's praised it in the past?

Yes, some people will say "my CD57 reflected exactly how I feel".
Almost as many will say "my CD57 reflected the exact opposite of how I feel".

The CD57 may have some worth---- after all, data is data. In the future.

[Medavinci]

is this thread still active?

[Evy711]

I was reading your msg from my husbands site.  I have Lyme as does my husband.  His was not diagnosed until many years after the fact and continually gets worse.  I was diagnosed this year.  I was tested for Lyme and co-infections through Igenics labs and only tested positive  for anapasmosis, not lyme.  I then had a  blood culture Lyme test done that takes 10 to 12 weeks to grow in a dish.  That test was positive for Lyme.  It's an out of pocket expense, $600.00, and i belive it's the Dr. Burascano Lyme test which you can get through an LLMD.  I waited 30 days before taking the test, you must not be on antibiotics or any  or any anti microbial over the counter med's for 30 days prior to testing.  I had not been on anti biotics yet but was taking anti microbial over the counter meds.  Hope that helps.

[Ricobord]

Did you take any IV meds? My doc says a low CD57 after treatment is a high predictor of relapse. He uses it to help determine if treatment should end or continue.  If you just don't see yours coming up, perhaps IV meds are needed to get at the most stubborn bugs.

[JackieCalifornia]

Last month, he said it would come soon.  He's also a psychic :)

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Heh.  :)