I just got blood work back for numerous tests I had ran. One that came back that concerned/surprised me was the high C4A levels. I know nothing about mold exposure/ susceptibility. Can anymore explain this to me. I linked my test results below, as well as my test results for lyme (As I have read there is often a link between lyme and mold). My followup with my doctor is not for a new weeks. Thank you!
Mikie
Moderator
Hi, Louise,
I did a search on high levels of C4A. What I found isn't a definitive answer but rather some info which wasn't that clear to me. It appears there are different things which can cause elevation. It can be an indication of inflammation. I suggest you look it up and then call your doc to find out what he or she thinks. Good luck to you.
Mikie
I did a search on high levels of C4A. What I found isn't a definitive answer but rather some info which wasn't that clear to me. It appears there are different things which can cause elevation. It can be an indication of inflammation. I suggest you look it up and then call your doc to find out what he or she thinks. Good luck to you.
Mikie
Nanie46
Moderator
Hi Louise,
As Mikie said, an elevated C4a can be found with inflammation. It is not specific to mold.
Here is one explanation in the following link. There is a lot of info about it online.
Regarding your Lyme test...you had a Lyme screen. That is the first of the two tier testing that conventional medicine says should be done to test for Lyme. Unfortunately, what they don't understand is that both of the tests generally used (Lyme screen and Western blot) can miss up to 50% of cases of Lyme according to Lyme literate doctors. 99% of doctors are not Lyme literate, yet they rely on these unreliable tests and miss the diagnosis in many cases. Many practitioners won't even do a western blot if the Lyme screen is negative, which is a shame.
Some states require that patients be given a notice in writing that a negative Lyme test does NOT rule out Lyme disease because the tests are that poor.
There are labs, such as Igenex (in CA) and MDL (in NJ) that have better tests and test for more bands on their western blots.
Some people are doing the DNA Connexions urine provocation test (a deep tissue massage or vigorous exercise is done first, then urine collected at home according to directions). It doesn't require a Dr order.
No test is 100% and is why it is so important for a doctor to use their clinical judgement in diagnosing Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
Unfortunately, most practitioners know little to nothing about tick-borne diseases.
Dr Joseph Burrascano said the following way back in 2008 in his paper "Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease" :
"DIAGNOSING LATER DISEASE - When reactive, serologies indicate exposure only and do not directly indicate whether the spirochete is now currently present. Because Bb serologies often give inconsistent results, test at well-known reference laboratories. The suggestion that two-tiered testing, utilizing an ELISA as a screening tool, followed, if positive, by a confirmatory western blot, is illogical in this illness. The ELISA is not sensitive enough to serve as an adequate screen, and there are many patients with Lyme who test negative by ELISA yet have fully diagnostic western blots. I therefore recommend against using the ELISA. Order IgM and IgG western blots- but be aware that in late disease there may be repeatedly peaking IgM's and therefore a reactive IgM may not differentiate early from late disease, but it does suggest an active infection. When late cases of LB are seronegative, 36% will transiently become seropositive at the completion of successful therapy." (https://www.researchednutritionals.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Burrascanos-Advanced-Topics-in-Lyme-Disease-_12_17_08.pdf)
Yet, they are still using these very poor tests today!
The doctors and the public do not realize that they may really have Lyme or a similar infection even if their test is negative. I see this happen all the time. I lead a Lyme support group in PA which has the highest number of cases of Lyme in the US.
There are other strains of Lyme-like bacteria that would never show up on a standard Lyme test, along with many other tick-borne diseases that can cause similar symptoms.
If you would like to read more, you could go to lymedisease.org, ilads.org and palyme.org.
I hope you get some real answers, get to the root of any problems you are having and recover.
All the best to you!
As Mikie said, an elevated C4a can be found with inflammation. It is not specific to mold.
Here is one explanation in the following link. There is a lot of info about it online.
Regarding your Lyme test...you had a Lyme screen. That is the first of the two tier testing that conventional medicine says should be done to test for Lyme. Unfortunately, what they don't understand is that both of the tests generally used (Lyme screen and Western blot) can miss up to 50% of cases of Lyme according to Lyme literate doctors. 99% of doctors are not Lyme literate, yet they rely on these unreliable tests and miss the diagnosis in many cases. Many practitioners won't even do a western blot if the Lyme screen is negative, which is a shame.
Some states require that patients be given a notice in writing that a negative Lyme test does NOT rule out Lyme disease because the tests are that poor.
There are labs, such as Igenex (in CA) and MDL (in NJ) that have better tests and test for more bands on their western blots.
Some people are doing the DNA Connexions urine provocation test (a deep tissue massage or vigorous exercise is done first, then urine collected at home according to directions). It doesn't require a Dr order.
No test is 100% and is why it is so important for a doctor to use their clinical judgement in diagnosing Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
Unfortunately, most practitioners know little to nothing about tick-borne diseases.
Dr Joseph Burrascano said the following way back in 2008 in his paper "Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease" :
"DIAGNOSING LATER DISEASE - When reactive, serologies indicate exposure only and do not directly indicate whether the spirochete is now currently present. Because Bb serologies often give inconsistent results, test at well-known reference laboratories. The suggestion that two-tiered testing, utilizing an ELISA as a screening tool, followed, if positive, by a confirmatory western blot, is illogical in this illness. The ELISA is not sensitive enough to serve as an adequate screen, and there are many patients with Lyme who test negative by ELISA yet have fully diagnostic western blots. I therefore recommend against using the ELISA. Order IgM and IgG western blots- but be aware that in late disease there may be repeatedly peaking IgM's and therefore a reactive IgM may not differentiate early from late disease, but it does suggest an active infection. When late cases of LB are seronegative, 36% will transiently become seropositive at the completion of successful therapy." (https://www.researchednutritionals.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Burrascanos-Advanced-Topics-in-Lyme-Disease-_12_17_08.pdf)
Yet, they are still using these very poor tests today!
The doctors and the public do not realize that they may really have Lyme or a similar infection even if their test is negative. I see this happen all the time. I lead a Lyme support group in PA which has the highest number of cases of Lyme in the US.
There are other strains of Lyme-like bacteria that would never show up on a standard Lyme test, along with many other tick-borne diseases that can cause similar symptoms.
If you would like to read more, you could go to lymedisease.org, ilads.org and palyme.org.
I hope you get some real answers, get to the root of any problems you are having and recover.
All the best to you!
Thank you so much for such an in depth response! I am bringing this with me to my doctor appointment