Not sure if those of you in the US have seen this. Its supposed to be nearly100% sensitive. (94%)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/05/prweb11883638.htm
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/05/prweb11883638.htm
New Lyme test
- Thread starter maryb
- Start date
I don´t have that answer for sure, but at least just one test will not tell if it is an ongoing infection or one that has been cured by itself (or with antibiotics I suppose). I do hope your head pressure will be over asap.
I saw this article http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mans-ravaging-lyme-disease-eludes-doctors-year/story?id=24341585
about the American musician who got lyme in Spain (and saw the tick and had EM rash) & then it took American physicians a year to diagnose it, because the American tests don't test for European ticks. Apparently, the European test tests for 18 species.
"Bargfrede had a C6-based ELISA test, which is widely used in Europe and can detect as many as 18 species of the Borrelia bacterium. But the test is not used in the U.S., according to the CDC."
I started looking on google to see whether that European test - or something similar - is available in the US. Immunetics has a C6-based ELISA test but it seems that it tests for fewer species (I don't have any expertise in this area - I'm assuming that "C6-based ELISA" means that the Immunetics test and the European test use the same process, but test for different species. I could be wrong.)
Immunetics claims 99% specificity for their test, and claims that their test is superior to the CDC recommended tests. The website says the test is FDA approved. I'm not sure what the politics are regarding the CDC recommended 2-test procedure vs. Immunetics. I tried to figure this out; it wasn't really clear but there may have been some results that showed Immunetics test as being just slightly worse, at the tine the decision was made. (Of course, Immunetics wouldn't try to overstate their results!) If anyone has any info, please reply.
http://www.immunetics.com/lyme.html
Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. Traditional Lyme ELISA tests are short on specificity and can generate over 20 percent false positive results. This uncertain performance can result in time-consuming, expensive Western Blot confirmatory tests. The C6 Lyme ELISA from Immunetics sets a new standard in Lyme test accuracy, and delivers more reliable results sooner and more economically than any other ELISA. It demonstrates 99 percent specificity in an average population – equivalent to the specificity of Western Blot testing and a 10-fold improvement over Whole Cell Sonicate ELISAs. Additionally, the C6 Lyme ELISA is a far more sensitive assay – showing twice the sensitivity of the standard Western Blot in patients with symptoms of acute or early Lyme disease. These features mean that more patients are correctly detected as positive for the disease. From early onset to late stage disseminated infection, C6 Lyme ELISA demonstrates superior results.
about the American musician who got lyme in Spain (and saw the tick and had EM rash) & then it took American physicians a year to diagnose it, because the American tests don't test for European ticks. Apparently, the European test tests for 18 species.
"Bargfrede had a C6-based ELISA test, which is widely used in Europe and can detect as many as 18 species of the Borrelia bacterium. But the test is not used in the U.S., according to the CDC."
I started looking on google to see whether that European test - or something similar - is available in the US. Immunetics has a C6-based ELISA test but it seems that it tests for fewer species (I don't have any expertise in this area - I'm assuming that "C6-based ELISA" means that the Immunetics test and the European test use the same process, but test for different species. I could be wrong.)
Immunetics claims 99% specificity for their test, and claims that their test is superior to the CDC recommended tests. The website says the test is FDA approved. I'm not sure what the politics are regarding the CDC recommended 2-test procedure vs. Immunetics. I tried to figure this out; it wasn't really clear but there may have been some results that showed Immunetics test as being just slightly worse, at the tine the decision was made. (Of course, Immunetics wouldn't try to overstate their results!) If anyone has any info, please reply.
http://www.immunetics.com/lyme.html
Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose. Traditional Lyme ELISA tests are short on specificity and can generate over 20 percent false positive results. This uncertain performance can result in time-consuming, expensive Western Blot confirmatory tests. The C6 Lyme ELISA from Immunetics sets a new standard in Lyme test accuracy, and delivers more reliable results sooner and more economically than any other ELISA. It demonstrates 99 percent specificity in an average population – equivalent to the specificity of Western Blot testing and a 10-fold improvement over Whole Cell Sonicate ELISAs. Additionally, the C6 Lyme ELISA is a far more sensitive assay – showing twice the sensitivity of the standard Western Blot in patients with symptoms of acute or early Lyme disease. These features mean that more patients are correctly detected as positive for the disease. From early onset to late stage disseminated infection, C6 Lyme ELISA demonstrates superior results.
- Accurate: Western Blot accuracy in an ELISA
- Sensitive: More sensitive detection of antibodies in early and late Lyme disease than competing kits
- Specific: Eliminates vast majority of other ELISA's false positives at the screening step
- Broadly applicable: Detects infection with all strains of Borrelia which cause Lyme disease, including European strains B. garinii and B. afzelii.
- Convenient: One hour turnaround time, breakaway strips for any number of samples, ready-to-use reagents and controls included
- Cost-effective: Greatly reduces the number of samples sent for expensive and lengthy confirmatory testing
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Isn´t an EM rash a definite Lyme diagnose everywhere? I thought it was a consensus about this if there is, or has been, an EM rash. In Northern Europe there is no claim for testing if EM is present.
fibrodude84
Senior Member
- Messages
- 191
Is this test in use yet? It still can prove a definite non diagnosis if someone never was infected and can rule out lyme.