- Carl Brenner’s Explanation of the Western Blot
- Thomas Grier’s, “Confusion Over Lyme Testing”
- Reasons for False Negative (Seronegative) Test Results in Lyme Disease From the Lyme Disease Foundation and the Lyme Alliance Compiled by Melissa Kaplan 2003
- Discovery of New Lyme Strains Invalidates New Tests
- The Problem is the Dearborn/Dressler IgG Standard Possible Causes of Seronegativity
- Which Tests are the Best Tests To Get
- Lyme Disease Requires Early Clinical Diagnosis
Quick Facts about Lyme Tests
From ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Lyme Disease Society)
- NO ACCURATE TESTS
- THERE ARE NO TESTS AVAILABLE TO PROVE THAT THE ORGANISM IS ERADICATED OR THAT THE PATIENT IS CURED.
- 35% THE ELISA SCREENING TEST IS UNRELIABLE.
- Lyme disease should be a clinical diagnosis.
- Lyme tests only test for a certain strains missing the other cases it doesn’t test for.
The common Elisa test you receive at your doctor’s office misses 35% of culture proven Lyme disease. Some studies indicate up to 50% of the patients tested for Lyme disease receive false negative results.
Lyme Disease is a spirochetal disease that is passed from ticks or in utero. It has become an epidemic in the United States, Canada, and Europe and is on every continent. There is a lot of controversy surrounding Lyme Disease. One of the problems is that the testing for Lyme Disease and the other tick borne infections, known as co-infections, is very inaccurate.
The testing for Lyme is a two tier testing method. First your doctor will order an ELISA, and if that comes back positive, then your doctor will order a Western Blot. Unfortunately Lyme Tests have been found to be very inaccurate.
Why Lyme Testing is Not Always Accurate
The ELISA
Elisa Test
Explaining the IGG and the IGM
The Western Blot essentially makes a map of the different antibodies the immune system produces to the bacteria. The map separates the antibodies by the weight of their respective antigens and are reported in units called kilo daltons or kDa. For example, a Western Blot may report bands at 22, 23, 25, 31, 34, 39, and 41 kDa. Each of these bands represents an antibody response to a specific protein found on the spirochete. The 41 band indicates an antibody to the flagella 41 kDa protein and is nonspecific. The 31 kDa band represents the OSPA protein and is specific for just a few species of Borrelia, as is the 34 band OSPB, and 23 kDa OSPC.
Many important bands that were specific to Lyme Disease were removed from the test for unexplainable reasons. Many believe it is due to the Lymerix vaccine gone bad. Many who got this Lyme vaccine were testing positive for Lyme Disease so they removed these bands to prevent false positives in people who were vaccinated. I don’t know why they wouldn’t just ask a person if they had a vaccine instead of completely removing them. More on this subject a little further down.
Much information off this page is from Tom Grier’s article. For more info on the western blot click here: Click Here to see more on Dr Brenner’s Explanation.
The Western Blot
IgM:
IgG:
What the bands on the Western Blot mean
On the outer surface of the Lyme bacteria are various proteins. As they have been discovered, they have been assigned letters, such as outer surface proteins A, B, and C.
Each band is an antigen complexed (bound together) with an antibody made by the immune system, specifically for that antigen (part) of Borrelia burgdorferi.
18: An outer surface protein.
22: Possibly a variant of outer surface protein C.
23-25: Outer surface protein C (osp C).
28: An outer surface protein.
30: Possibly a variant of outer surface protein A.
31: Outer surface protein A (osp A). 34: Outer surface protein B (osp .
37: Unknown, but it is in the medical literature that it is a borrelia-associated antibody. Other labs consider it significant.
39: Unknown what this antigen is, but based on research at theInstitute of Health (NIH), other Borrelia (such as Borrelia recurrentis that causes relapsing fever), do not even have the genetics to code for the 39 kDa antigen, much less produce it. It is the most specific antibody for borreliosis of all.
41: Flagella or tail. This is how Borrelia burgdorferi moves around, by moving the flagella. Many bacteria have flagella.This is the most common borreliosis antibody.
45: Heat shock protein. This helps the bacteria survive fever. The only bacteria in the world that does not have heat shock proteins is Treponema pallidum, the cause of syphilis.
58: Heat shock protein.66: Heat shock protein.This is the second most common borrelia antibody.
73: Heat shock protein.
83: This is the DNA or genetic material of Borrelia burgdorferi. It is the same thing as the 93, based upon the medical literature. But laboratories vary in assigning significance to the 83 versus the 93.
93: The DNA or genetic material of Borrelia burgdorferi.
An lgM Western Blot must have two or more of the following three bands: 23, 39, 41. Conspicuously absent are the most important bands, 22, 23, 25, 31, and 34, which include OSPA, OSP-B and OSP-C antigens – the three most widely accepted and recognized Bb antigens. These antigens were the antigens chosen for human vaccine trials.
VaccinationA vaccine against Lyme disease, called LYMErix, was developed by GlaxoSmithKline. LYMErix was approved on the basis of these trials by the U.S. and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 21, 1998. Following approval of the vaccine, hundreds of vaccine recipients reported they had developed autoimmune side effects. Supported by some patient advocacy groups, a number of class-action lawsuits were filed against GlaxoSmithKline, alleging the vaccine had caused these health problems. LYMErix was withdrawn from the U.S. market by GlaxoSmithKline in February 2002, in the setting of negative media coverage and fears of vaccine side effects.
Many of the people who were vaccinated against Lyme were testing positive afterwards on certain bands of the Western Blot. Because of this, the IDSA decided to remove certain bands from the Western Blot, even though they were Lyme specific. Many believe that is one reason the Western Blot gives many false negatives now. Many turn to the Laboratory called Igenex Labs, because they put the bands back in for testing.
You just need to detox it out. Please research and follow Dr Robert Morse on you tube. I’m seeing great results!!!
The worst disease ever! Thought it was so easily treatable… nope.
My daughter has Lyme Disease…horribly debilitating! If there had been a reliable test she would probably not had to suffer for 16 years of being misdiagnosed.
Please. …please…..someone come up with more reluable testing….a vaccine that works….and a cure for all who suffer from this terrible disease.
Lyme Disease also needs to be recognized by the CDC…and insurance companies…. with a Clinical Diagnosis so treatment can be paid for without being interrupted and having to fight for treatment. Please …someone….help these people who have had their lives destroyed by Lyme.
Thank you….
So sorry about your girl! I got it when I was about fifty! Think it effects younger worse
There is a vaccine for Lyme disease!
My dog gets one every year!
Originally, developed for peeps not pets!
Been meaning to re research this
CDC and FDA swamp needs draining
So sorry about your girl! I got it when I was about fifty! Think it effects younger worse
There is a vaccine for Lyme disease!
My dog gets one every year!
Originally, developed for peeps not pets!
Been meaning to re research this
CDC and FDA swamp needs draining
Oh yeah, took me ten yrs to be diagnosed and another five yrs to find doctor LLMD
NEEDS TO BE TREATED right away!
Interesting that Lyme has only had three government research deals