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Would either of these blood tests be relevant for a person diagnosed with MS?

Thanks,

Chris

MrChris wrote:Would either of these blood tests be relevant for a person diagnosed with MS?

Thanks,

Chris

Welcome to ThisIsMS, Chris (MrChris).

As you told us elsewhere, you had 5 months of testing: MRI, blood tests, visual evoked potential, lumbar puncture. In my opinion (I have no medical background), all these tests and imaging help to give the doctor a more complete picture of your health situation.

The C-reactive protein (CRP) test measures general inflammation, which is part of MS. It is my understanding that the hs–CRP (high sensitivity-CRP) is especially useful in determining a heart problem. If by "differential wbc" you are referring to what my lab calls "CBC with Auto Differential," I think it is useful to know the different components as they contribute to the overall picture – possible anemia, B12 deficiency, etc., e.g., MCV (mean corpuscular value) is elevated in the case of megaloblastic anemia.

Many other tests are useful, such as the homocysteine (Hcy) test, which measures an amino acid that is damaging to the blood vessels; this test is slowly being recognized as a better indicator of the risk of heart disease than cholesterol testing.

Once we have been diagnosed with MS, doctors have a tendency to chalk up any new symptom to MS. It is entirely possible that we can have additional conditions totally unrelated to MS.

Although you did not ask a specific question when you posted the following in the "Undiagnosed" sub-forum, please allow me to comment:

MrChris wrote:Here is the testing i went through.

Ct scan
Ct scan with contrast
Blood testing (not exactly sure for what) but is do know that they ran an ELISA and Western Blot
Multiple MRIs with and with out contrast.
Lumbar puncture
Visual evoke potential
And clinical symptoms

It was right after my first mri that the neurologist pointed out that they had found lesions in my brain that they were consistent of those who have MS. From there more testing was ordered. And 5 months later I had an official diagnosis.


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald_criteria

Lesions in the brain are consistent with many conditions, including migraines, vitamin B12 deficiency, etc. – MS is just one of these. (In fact, there are people with all kinds of MS symptoms who have NO lesions on their MRIs; by contrast, there are people who had NO symptoms during their lifetime, who upon autopsy have been found to have LOTS of lesions.) There is no test or symptom that can definitively proclaim "this is MS."

If you ask for your own copies of blood test results, you will know exactly which tests have been done and exactly the number results. I believe the ELISA and Western Blot are done for Lyme disease.

Generally speaking, CRP and peripheral white blood cell counts are normal in multiple sclerosis

-C

My husband's c reactive protein result was off the charts high when his serum was tested during his first MS flare....as were his SED and ESR rate. He showed signs of hypercoagulation, which was why I pursued vascular means of healing.

In fact, crp rates have been shown higher in MS during relapses.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16009907

More and more research is pointing to a connection between cardiovascular health and MS---
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25912468
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25041631

so, if your crp levels are high, looking into lowering them might make sense. Here's the program I created for my husband to do just that. He's never had elevated crp again, and has had no MS progression or relapses in 8 years, along with a reversal in gray matter atrophy.
http://ccsvi.org/index.php/helping-myse ... ial-health

hope this info helps,
cheer

Interesting. I wonder if their findings are a result of how physically inactive MS patients become or if its actually related to the disease itself.

Chris--inactivity can be one factor, but it's not the only one.
I believe high crp levels are a result of endothelial dysfunction, which is exacerbated by processed foods, saturated animal fats, lack of sleep, stress and high cortisol, inactivity, lack of UV rays, low vitamin D, low vitamin B, high glucose, smoking, toxins and oxidation. And all of these environmental factors are also linked to faster MS progression.
Again, here's my research on this. You'll see it's multi-factorial. Check it out, it's worth 10 minutes to read: http://ccsvi.org/index.php/helping-myse ... ial-health

High crp is also related to metabolic disease (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and cognitive decline in older adults---because of increased blood brain barrier permeability due to endothelial dysfunction. We're also seeing a link to Alzheimer's, dementia and neurodegenerative disease. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cpn/2012/120540/

Endothelial dysfunction is not good for the brain,
cheer

My c-rp and blood panel have been normal every single time tested, and I've had very active MS for decades. I was told recently when investigated that my arteries were "pristine".

IMO, the test is not so much informative for an MS diagnosis if you're looking for indications towards that.