What to expect from infectious disease testing?

RedFox

RedFox

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
My physician finally ordered more tests, for EBV, CMV, and Lyme Disease. I don't currently have more detailed information on the type of test, sorry. How much is this gonna reveal about what's going on in my body? My expectations are low.

Is someone who had Lyme 10 years ago likely to still have antibodies? Edit: The Lyme test is DNA, not antibodies.

I just want confirmation I'm sick in some way, not necessarily that I have ME.
 
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I had lots of testing for viruses (30 years ago), like CMV (negative), EBV (positive antibodies -showing past infection like a large proportion of the population), HIV (negative)and a Mantoux test for TB (negative) Hepatitis A, B and C (negative and showed vaccination status), possibly a few others, ?japanese encephalitis, I forget.

It was as thorough as my GP and Infectious Disease Physician, could be at the time, and never had any other infection testing despite having some nice rashes that surprised my GP (still get them occasionally) erythema multiforme, they responded to antihistamines, very quickly, so put down as “mast cell activation”, even if it was viral persistence or whatever immune mediated process there was no antiviral or good treatment they would have given me, as not a lot is funded here in the public service.

But I am seeing the same specialist at my hospital, in a few months so be interested to see what he has to say about how my health has deteriorated so much with ME/CFS and got no support or treatment other than my own reading…

I don’t think I had Lyme testing, we don’t have the tics here that carry the bacteria (but had done a lot of travel) and had work exposure to some infectious disease, but most of those infections have very clear associated symptoms and signs.

So basically I hope they find a cause for you, but yes, having low expectations means if they do find something, it will be hopefully be something they have an effective treatment for.
 
My personal experience: My disease started with an EBV infection and years later my GP decided to test me again for it.

The IgG and EBNA values showed that I had a past infection but the IgM, the one that is indicative of a fresh infection, came back with the label that could be translated as "ambiguous" or "doubtful", instead of the typical positive/negative result.

The lab added the comment that the doubtful IgM result is probably the result of an aspecific reaction.

However, Jonathan Edwards commented that this probably does not actually mean much on an individual level, at least as far as EBV test results go. It doesn't necessarily mean a weird, still active infection.

Edit: most adults had EBV and CMV at some point in their life and tests can show those as past infections.
 
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RedFox said:
Is someone who had Lyme 10 years ago likely to still have antibodies?
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I do. Conventional wisdom is that it's possible that you may always test positive - but that's just a theory. Conventional wisdom also says if you do test positive, your titres should decline. If you have multiple tests, and your titres decline then rise then decline then rise etc, that's suggestive of an active infection.

RedFox said:
the Lyme test is DNA so it would only pick up a present infection.
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DNA tests for Lyme are tough because Lyme doesn't linger in blood, it gravitates to tissue. And even if you are PCR positive, naysayers may opine it's merely remnants of nonviable Lyme.

Getting tested for Lyme is a mess. But if you're in PA, I'd absolutely get tested.

Theyve a new test, the VlsE1/pepc10. I don't trust it for disseminated Lyme, but the few times Ive had it I test positive, so what do I know..

ETA: Oh, and tick-borne diseases come in packages very frequently. I always get tested for babesioisis and bartonella and a couple others. I'm also positive for babesiosis usually.
 
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Jonathan Edwards said:
You are right. Probably nothing. Antibody tests at one point in time say very little about one individual for most infectious agents.
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Of course, Lyme would be the exception if you accept what most infectious disease doctors embrace. Not only that, but in most cases one's Lyme antibodies should be IgG positive (since it usually takes longer than 30 days to get tested, at least historically).

Interestingly, another exception would be syphilis, which is also a spirochete.
 
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Eh I'm not worried about the Lyme test. It's to rule something out. My current symptoms aren't remotely similar to when I had Lyme disease. I'm more interested in whether my EBV or CMV levels might be high. I would see that as a non-specific sign of illness.
 
Some of my results came back.
My EBV antibodies are in. I'm seronegative for all of them. Seemingly, I'm one of the 5% of people who's never had EBV.
My CMV antibodies came back and it's negative.
Lyme is still out.

My CBC (blood count) has several mildly abnormal values that could point to anemia. I'll discuss with my doctor.
 
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