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Bio-markers!

Messages
57
Location
New Zealand
Can anyone pass on their experience with bio-marking tests?
Are they accurate in defining whether you have ME/CFS or not?
If you live in New Zealand or Australia, can you recommend a doctor/specialist who carries out these tests?
And what are we looking at cost-wise?
Thanks for your input in advance......it will be much appreciated!
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
i wasnt aware there was an actual biomarker test. The natural killer cell function test may be the closest we have and something researchers are looking into??

cheers!!!
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
What heaps said. That's one of our major political problems -- we have no biomarker.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
i wasnt aware there was an actual biomarker test. The natural killer cell function test may be the closest we have and something researchers are looking into??

cheers!!!

Heaps,

While there probably isn't any one conclusive biomarker test, putting together the results from a lot of abnormal tests gives a good diagnositc perspective. Stuff the the NK absolute number and function test, immune panels, inflammatory cytokine panels, methylation panel, viral tests, bacterial infection tests, sophisticated exercise testing, gut testing, neurological testing etc.

If you explore all those systems and find a pattern of abnormalities that matches up fairly well with things like the international ME criteria, I think you have a pretty good basis for diagnosis.

Cheers back!
Sushi
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
I agree with you sushi, if theres a pattern of immune dysfunction and infections then yes theres a more accurrate diagnosis of cfs/me, i was meaning that there is nothing official in the way of biomarkers yet. going by stupid definitions getting around, having low nk function would then take u out of the cfs deinition and into something else, but we all know this is a stupid way to define cfs as the psychobabblers dont want cfs to be known as an immunological disorder and want to keep it a crazy disorder
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Hmmmm, sorry, I think I will kind of disagree with the opinions here. We have tons of biomarkers - we just don't really understand them and none are proven to be diagnostic. Not all biomarkers have to be diagnostic - they can just be measures of physiological states including disease states.Such biomarkers are currently being used to monitor and refine medical treatment by a number of doctors.

Specificity of biomarkers (picking the absolute best) is up to 97%, and sensitivity is at 100%. This of course with markers that have not been adequately tested - no marker has been adequately tested. We are still, many years later, looking at NK cells! Biomarker research needs funding, and like most things to do with ME there simply isn't enough funding or interest - though NK cells are getting a lot of attention currenty.

We also lack an understanding of how to interpret many of these markers. Sure they are abnormal - but what does that really mean? What is the primary consequence? What about secondary consequences? What implications does that have for treatment?

Biochemistry is like a giant jigsaw puzzle of a spider's web, and we still lack many of the pieces and sometimes are looking at it in near darkness. So we fumble to put related pieces together in the right way, and hope that when the light comes on the picture will be there.

Bye, Alex
 
Messages
57
Location
New Zealand
Wow......heaps of great info & food for thought.....thanks guys!
I must say though I was getting all excited about a bio-marker telling me if I had CFS or not.......but now reality has reared its ugly head again & I feel I'm back where I started.......but then that's the nature of this beast, eh?
Btw, and excuse my ignorance....but what's NK?
Just as well we're all in this together so we can advise & support where we can.
Battle on me hearties!
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
ozikiwi, if u can get a few immune tests and they are showing abnormalities then your in the ball park with most of us, also then its possible that many different infections could also be causing symptoms like ebv etc as your immune system is up the creek, so going after infections can help and if u find something that helps the immune system then go for it, just share with all of us if u do.

cheers!!!