Hi!
I posted like the beginning of May with my symptoms and questions of what to have the Rheumy check with blood tests. And you all were wonderful answering my ?? Well, afte waiting 2 months for an appt, I finally had it last Thursday. She was very thorough and wouldn't tell me one way or the other what she was leaning toward except she. had a hunch. Then she said she wanted to schedule me for and EMG.

I presented her with all my bloodwork tests, brain MRI results from 8/00 etc.
(When symptoms began in 8/00 I had 1:40 ANA and they also thought MS so I had brain/lumbar MRI) ANd also my blood results from my physical in 4/04

Anyway, the last 2 months have been awesome for me being able to zip around and get out of bed bette. March and April, I was slow moving.
I showed her that my bloodwork in April 04 was: platelet level 253, RBC, WBC all normal, B12 normal, ANA 1:160 nucleolar, SGOT and SGPT were normal, thyroid TSH was .859.

So, these are the tests she did and I am trying to decipher which disease goes with which test. I go back in 2 weeks to discuss. BTW, HOW EXPENSIVE can these tests be? My insurance says they will pay at 80%

URINE--???
C3 & C4 ????
Cardiolipn--for APS??
CPK--Polymyositis??
DNA Antibody--Lupus?
J HLA/B27 ????What is this for???
Lupus Coagulant
JFR--??? Is this RH factor??
JRNP, SM, SSA, SSB--??Lupus??
Scleroderma 70 Antibody
Sed Rate
JO-1 Antibody--?????What is this???

Thanks for any answers

Donya

Donya,

I pulled out my hardcover & went to its index. Here's some initial info on the items you boldfaced.

Urine tests: if lupus is suspected, done to detect presence of "urine casts" (cellular debris) which suggest nephritis. There are several kinds of casts. Also, nephritis patients usu. show at least some protein in the urine = proteinuria; if found, then a more precise test, the "24-hour urine protein" test is done next to measure protein & also creatinine clearance. (Don't panic here! I have urine tests done at least 2X a year, just to be sure. They SHOULD be done, is what I'm saying.)

C3 & C4 are both "serum complements" which are substances in blood consumed by inflammation. Low C3, C4, and CH50 complement levels are the ones strongly associated with lupus.

Anto-Jo is an autoantibody associated with OTHER autoimmune diseases, such as scleroderma or some other lupus-like autoimmune. If present, the dr. would suspect something *other than lupus* as a more likely Dx.

I struck out on the other two, JHLA/B27 and JFR. Sorry! I did read that HLA refers to a specific area of the genes. Certain lupus subsets are indeed correlated with certain HLA markers. I just didn't see this exact notation, "JHLA", mentioned though...

Good luck! I hope you continue to feel better---I do a "spring thing", too, and get pretty sluggish. Anyway, take good care. Vee

Thanks Vee!

I did further investigating
J HLA/B-27 --Is Human Leucocyte ANtigen and I <guess> can be used to detect Ankylosing spondilitis or a group of inflamatory rheumatic disorders. I think I read also Psoriatic arthritis.

Anti Jo-1--can be for Polymyositis

JFR--I read was Rheumatoid Factor and also used for Sjorgrens

I am hoping for NO diagnosis. Sounds bad I know but it seems we have been battling the insurance company lately over other issues and they have been screwing us over to the point we have the Dr, me and H/R writing a complaint to the OK State insurance commissioner. I KNOW these will be expensive tests and they say they are paying at 80% but I just fear they will try to pull a rabbit out of their hat to keep from paying. KWIM? I am more worried about the expense than the Dx.

I am not in a bad place in my life with discomfort or pain really. And, if the tests are inconclusive then I am not going to pursue it any further. I have not gotten worse over the last 4 years. The only thing that really bugs me is the funky neurological thing with my feet that never goes away and that is what started this whole mess 4 years ago. Bottoms of my feet constantly feel "fuzzy" like they have fallen asleep a bit. Sounds weird but it feels like I have something stuck to the bottom of them. But I still have full sensation to sharp, dull, hot cold etc and doesn't cause any walking probs. I have just learned to accept it.

Thanks again!

Donya