Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

vividsailor7 said:SSA levels are elevated at SAP. Sjögren's, S&P Global. Advanced immunology.

I’d just like to build on what my esteemed colleague—whom I greet here—noted regarding your next steps. It’s important you understand, Kimberly Martinez7, that a single lab result showing specific antibodies isn't enough to diagnose an autoimmune disorder or a systemic connective tissue disease. You have to meet specific clinical criteria established for each individual condition. This process requires a thorough medical history and a physical exam, which falls under the expertise of an immunologist or rheumatologist. That is why my colleague suggested seeing one next.

In short: a positive test alone doesn't equal a diagnosis. Other benchmarks must be met first. I mention this so you aren't caught off guard if an immunologist doesn't provide a definitive answer immediately after your exam. It’s quite common for patients to "wait" for a final diagnosis while they wait for all the clinical pieces to fall into place.

All the best to you, Kimberly Martinez7.

Best regards. 🙂

Maria Fisher46 said:I’d just like to build on what my respected colleague—whom I’d like to acknowledge here—has shared regarding the options available to you. It is important to understand, Kimberly Martinez7, that a single lab result showing specific antibodies isn't enough to diagnose an autoimmune condition or a systemic connective tissue disease. You also have to meet specific clinical criteria established for each individual illness. This process usually requires a thorough medical history and a full physical exam, which falls under the expertise of an immunologist or rheumatologist. That is why my colleague suggested seeing one as your next step.

In short, a positive test alone doesn't guarantee a definitive diagnosis because other symptoms must align. I mention this so you aren't discouraged if an immunologist can't give you a final answer immediately after your visit. It's quite common for patients to "wait" for a certain period while they monitor whether all the diagnostic criteria are eventually met.

Wishing you all the best, Kimberly Martinez7.

Best regards. 🙂

I am still waiting for a final diagnosis from 1990.
Positive anti-ds-DNA, ANA, ENA, cardiolipin, histone; elevated CRP, low C3, albuminuria, rashes, mucosal sores, sicca syndrome (Schirmer test is 1), chills, night sweats (I'm changing clothes like I have the flu because my temperature drops and I get soaked... I'm going through mountains of laundry...), low-grade fevers around 99°F, neurological issues (altered EEG and VEP with neuronal lesions, hemiparesis), lymphadenopathy, a false positive TB test (and whatever else tends to trigger those?), antiphospholipid syndrome, and as mentioned in my other post—based on scintigraphy—it looks like sacroiliitis too, though nobody will document it except maybe a nephrologist.

So, yeah, I finally managed to book an appointment with a different rheumatologist... I got in on November 19th. They tell me rheumatology is never an emergency. But this involves immunology, too.
When I feel terrible, all I can do is stay in bed and rest as much as possible. And take some Advil.

I know immunology is complex, but is it really this complicated?!

My joints ache, I have enthesitis, and my joints feel like they're burning. They don't swell, but they burn, and the skin over them feels incredibly hot (while the rest of my skin feels normal), especially over my hips. Sometimes even my skin hurts; literally any touch on certain areas is painful—even the feeling of my clothes against my skin or touching my forearms (though my 2003 biopsy showed absolutely nothing unusual).

So, I grabbed some blood work done right after finishing up a round of antibiotics (Zithromax), and my CRP is still elevated. It’s way lower than it was ten days ago when I first started the meds, but it's still hanging in there above normal. My ESR is actually totally fine, though—sitting at a 6. Just wondering, is it possible for the CRP to still be lagging behind even if the infection is mostly cleared? 🤷

Back again. 🤣
Can anyone make sense of these urine results? 🙂

appearance: clear
color: yellow

dipstick test

bilirubin........neg
urobilinogen......normal
ketones........neg
ascorbic acid.....neg
glucose......neg
protein......neg
erythrocytes.....neg
hemoglobin....neg
ph........5.0
nitrites......neg
leukocytes......neg
specific gravity.....1.015

sediment
leukocytes.....1-2
erythrocytes........occasional
squamous epithelial cells.....few
mucus....few
round bacteria....few
calcium oxalate crystals....rare

So, my hepatitis markers just came back and they're showing positive for anti-HAV, positive for anti-HCV, and the HCV Ag quantitative test is sitting at 15 pg/ml... does anyone actually know what this means?

Maria Fisher46 said:I’d like to jump in here and build on what my esteemed colleague just laid out—and I really tip my hat to him for outlining those potential next steps. Listen, Kimberly Martinez7, you need to understand something crucial: you can't just look at a single lab result for an antibody and call it a day. That isn't how this works! To actually diagnose an autoimmune condition—specifically a systemic connective tissue disease—it isn't just about one isolated blood test. It’s much more complex than that. You have to meet very specific clinical criteria that have been established for every individual disease. This requires a deep dive into your full medical history and a comprehensive physical examination. That entire process falls squarely under the expertise of an immunologist or a rheumatologist. That is exactly why my colleague recommended seeing a specialist as your immediate next move. Get it done.

Look, let me be crystal clear about this: a single positive test result isn't a golden ticket to a definitive diagnosis. It’s just one piece of the puzzle. You have to meet the full set of clinical criteria before anything is official. I’m stressing this because I don't want you to lose your mind if you see an immunologist and they still won't give you a final answer after the exam. It happens. It’s actually incredibly common. Some patients spend months—sometimes even longer—just sitting in that gray area, waiting for every single symptom and marker to line up perfectly so the doctors can finally check all the boxes. Don't let the uncertainty throw you off; it's part of the process.

To the editors at Kimberly Martinez7, I wish you nothing but the absolute best.

Hey there! Good to see you. 🙂

Thanks for the add.🙂😉

Magic potion? Give me a break. Honestly, I am so tired of seeing people chase these "miracle cures" like they’re some kind of holy grail. It’s pure nonsense. You see it all over social media—some influencer claiming they found a secret elixir that solves everything from joint pain to fatigue overnight. Newsflash: there is no magic potion. There is no shortcut. If you want actual results, you have to deal with the reality of science and hard work. You can't just swallow a bottle of mystery liquid and expect your life to change while you sit on the couch. It’s exhausting watching people get scammed by these pseudo-scientific fairy tales. Stick to what actually works and stop looking for a quick fix that doesn't exist. kaže:
Here I go again. 🤣
Can someone please take a look at this urinalysis and give me your thoughts? 🙂
....................

Everything looks solid. Clean results all around.

Maria Fisher46 said:I just wanted to jump in and back up my respected colleague here—shout out to him, by the way—who was laying out the different options you're looking at. Just so you know, Kimberly Martinez7, having a lab result that shows specific antibodies isn't enough to diagnose an autoimmune disease or a systemic connective tissue disorder. You also have to meet certain clinical criteria that are set for each specific condition. This usually happens after a deep dive into your medical history (basically, a full rundown of all your symptoms, etc.) and a physical exam, which falls under the jurisdiction of an immunologist or a rheumatologist. That’s why my colleague suggested seeing one as your next move.

So, yeah, just a positive test result doesn't cut it for a solid diagnosis; you need to check all the other boxes too. I’m emphasizing this because if you see an immunologist and they still don't give you a final answer after the exam, don't think it's weird—some patients end up "waiting" for a definitive diagnosis until enough criteria finally line up.

All the best to you, Kimberly Martinez7.

Best regards. 🙂

Thanks for the quick reply. I get it—without seeing an immunologist, you can't get a real diagnosis. I didn't mention in my last post that I've already seen an immunologist, but I still don't have a clear diagnosis or any kind of treatment plan, which is why I'm asking around here—maybe someone else has dealt with something similar. It feels like I won't actually get a final diagnosis until things actually get worse (you know, once all the "criteria" are met). Look, I'm no doctor, but it seems pretty logical to me that you'd want to start treatment as soon as possible rather than just waiting around for things to take a turn for the worse.

What specific criteria do our rheumatologists and immunologists actually use to diagnose an autoimmune disease?
I’ve been digging through Mendeley and browsing the American College of Rheumatology website...
It feels like I'm missing a key piece of the puzzle to reach a definitive diagnosis. It isn't as simple as just having swollen joints; that's certainly not the only indicator they look for.
The real struggle, though, is the timeline. By the time you finally sit down for that appointment with a specialist, the symptoms that were driving you crazy three or four months ago have often subsided.

Brenda Alvarez24 said:Waiting for the final results from 1990....

Ma'am,

I'm not sure which direction your doctors—specifically an immunologist or a rheumatologist—are leaning regarding your diagnosis. Usually, there's at least a suspicion or a working hypothesis involved.

Regarding the second part of your question: reaching a definitive diagnosis isn't always straightforward. It's worth noting that for certain conditions, meeting "cumulative criteria" is enough. This means you don't necessarily need all symptoms to be present simultaneously, provided they have occurred over time.

It is also vital that a physician evaluates those specific clinical signs used to satisfy diagnostic criteria. For instance, a doctor must clinically identify something like a malar rash to meet the criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus.

Given your lab work, the diverse range of symptoms, and the involvement of multiple organ systems, I believe you should definitely consult a top-tier rheumatologist or immunologist. You need someone to review your existing working diagnoses, consolidate all previous findings, and determine if you actually meet the threshold for a specific condition.

briskcobra543 said:hepatitis markers came back anti-HAV positive, anti-HCV positive, and HCV Ag quantitative test pos 15 pg/ml, does anyone know what this means

Sir,

An anti-HAV positive result indicates you have been exposed to the Hepatitis A virus—meaning you’ve either recovered from it (often called infectious jaundice) or you've gained immunity through vaccination.

However, the combination of being anti-HCV positive and having a positive HVC Ag result suggests a potential Hepatitis C infection.

With these results, you need to see an infectious disease specialist for a full evaluation and further testing.

Best regards and wishing you the best. 🙂

Eric Morales62 said:Thanks for the quick reply. I understand that without an immunologist's exam, a precise diagnosis is impossible. I didn't mention in my previous post that I've already seen an immunologist; I still don't have a definitive diagnosis or any treatment, which is why I'm looking for perspectives here—perhaps someone has dealt with something similar. It seems like I won't get a final diagnosis until my condition actually worsens (once all the criteria are met). I'm no doctor, but logically, treatment should start sooner rather than waiting for things to take a turn for the worse.

Brenda Alvarez24 said:What criteria do our rheumatologists and immunologists actually use to diagnose an autoimmune disease?
I’ve been digging through Elsevier and the American College of Rheumatology websites...
I can't figure out what specific piece I'm missing to pin down an accurate diagnosis. It isn't like I need swollen joints to be dealing with something. Swollen joints aren't the only metric.
The thing is, by the time you finally see a specialist... the symptoms that brought you there have usually cycled through or shifted during those three, four, or five months you spent waiting for the appointment.

Dear sophie7 and fellow forum members,

While you wait for your lab results, a diagnosis, or your actual appointment, I suggest looking into the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus thread. You'll find many members there discussing various symptoms, diagnostic hurdles, treatment protocols, and the daily realities of living with autoimmune conditions, offering mutual support and advice.

I recommend checking out that discussion and joining in. There are people there with significant experience who have navigated these exact issues firsthand. They can be a major source of support.

Also, my co-moderator, leeloo27, also tests positive for SS-A antibodies and is still awaiting a final diagnosis. She is active in that thread, so feel free to exchange experiences with her.

Regarding your question about when a diagnosis is officially made: clinical guidelines suggest that if a patient doesn't present a full clinical picture, they should be diagnosed with "undifferentiated connective tissue disease" and monitored closely.

However, that doesn't mean these patients go without treatment. Therapy should be targeted toward the clinical manifestations of the disease. For instance, if someone has progressing kidney issues but hasn't met every single criterion for systemic lupus, they won't sit around waiting for the checklist to complete before starting medication. Treatment starts where the symptoms demand it.

Best regards. 🙂

vividsailor7 said:Advice for what exactly?
1. I have no clue what the initial test results were or even what tests were actually performed.
2. Nobody can force you to do anything. But I don't think Nancy was being useless when she mentioned needing regular checkups—plus, I don't even know which type of leukemia we're talking about here.
And I don't get why you're getting so defensive about not wanting blood work; if that's your choice, fine.

thanks for the reality check!
I made it through the blood draw, and I've got some kind of biopsy scheduled for next week, then that's it.

I was hoping someone could help me make sense of these lab results....

So, we’re looking at a 21-year-old woman who is currently seven months pregnant. She’s also been struggling with low iron levels.

Glucose 3.8 mmol/L | Ref range: 4.2 to 6

Iron
Iron 7.4 umol/L | Ref range: 8-30
UIBC 84.9 umol/L | Ref range: 26-59
TIBC 92.3 umol/L | Ref range: 49-75

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) after 2 hours: 4.7 mmol/L (Normal is
NOTE: Hematology with Coagulation

WBC (White Blood Cells) 9.36 | Ref range: 3.4-9.7

RBC (Red Blood Cells) 3.65 | Ref range: 3.86-5.08
Hemoglobin 113 | Ref range: 119-157
Hematocrit 0.333 | Ref range: 0.356-0.47
MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume) 91.4 | Ref range: 83-97.2
MCH (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin) 31.1 | Ref range: 27.4-33.9
MCHC (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration) 340 | Ref range: 320-345
RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width) 13.9 | Ref range: 9-15
Platelets 157 | Ref range: 158-424
MPV (Mean Platelet Volume) 8.1 | Ref range: 6.8-10.4

A few days ago, I felt two lumps on the back of my neck—one on the left and one on the right—plus a smaller one on the lower right side. My doctor told me to get some tests done, and the results just came back today. To make matters worse, I felt another lump on the left side of my neck, just below my ear. I've been dealing with frequent headaches lately, too... and about ten years ago, I had a melanoma surgically removed.
I’d really appreciate some input on these results. I noticed a few items are flagged as being outside the normal range, but I'm wondering if these deviations actually matter. When I last had labs done a month ago, everything was totally fine, except for the BASO levels, which were at .087 1.22%

fadedorca3 said:I was hoping someone could take a look at these lab results....

So, we’re looking at a 21-year-old pregnant woman in her 7th month. She already struggles with low iron levels...

Glucose 3.8 mmol/L (Ref range: 4.2 to 6)

Iron
Iron 7.4 umol/L (Ref range: 8-30)
UIBC 84.9 umol/L (Ref range: 26-59)
TIBC 92.3 umol/L (Ref range: 49-75)

oGTT after 2h: 4.7 mmol/L, which is normal (
NOTE: HEMATOLOGY WITH COAGULATION

Leukocytes 9.36 (Ref range: 3.4-9.7)

Erythrocytes 3.65 (Ref range: 3.86-5.08)
Hemoglobin 113 (Ref range: 119-157)
Hematocrit 0.333 (Ref range: 0.356-0.47)
MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume) 91.4 (Ref range: 83-97.2)
MCH (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin) 31.1 (Ref range: 27.4-33.9)
MCHC (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration) 340 (Ref range: 320-345)
RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width) 13.9 (Ref range: 9-15)
Platelets 157 (Ref range: 158-424)
MPV 8.1 (Ref range: 6.8-10.4)

Hello,

The main outlier here, as you noted, is the iron level. In pregnancy, an iron level below 12 µmol/l typically indicates a deficiency.

Hemoglobin levels are still holding steady for now.

Discuss the dosage for any iron supplements with your OB/GYN.

Please consult your doctor regarding these findings.

Best regards—wishing you and your baby all the best. 🙂

shadowviper24 said:A few days ago, I felt two lumps on the left and right sides of my neck, plus one smaller one on the lower right. My doctor sent me for labs, which came back today. Today, I also felt a lump on the left side under my ear. Lately, I've been having frequent headaches, and about 10 years ago, I had Stage I melanoma surgically removed.
Could someone comment on these results? Some values are outside the normal range, and I'm wondering if the deviation is significant. My last labs were a month ago, and everything was within normal limits except for the BASO, which was .087 1.22%

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6679/img20120418195057.th.jpg http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1592/img20120418195013.th.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/9479/img20120418195031.th.jpg http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8633/img20120418195045.th.jpg

Hello,

These results aren't specific. There is a decrease in lymphocytes (a more significant drop is considered anything below 1.0 x 10^9) and a slight increase in basophils (values above 0.08 x 10^9 are considered elevated).

The minor deviations are noticeable, though they don't quite align with the clinical picture as far as I can tell.

It’s premature to draw firm conclusions without further testing. A more complete assessment would require checking things like CRP, Selenium, LDH, and liver function tests, assuming those are indicated. Depending on where the diagnosis leads—perhaps serology—and if the nodes persist, we might look at a peripheral blood smear, an ultrasound of the lymph nodes, or even a fine-needle aspiration.

Be sure to go over these results with your doctors.

Best regards. 🙂
__________________________________

edit: indra2, I've moved your post here.
edit no. 2: sope, I've moved your post here.

So, here’s the situation... I had my hormone levels checked on day 3 of my cycle because I’ve been dealing with these sudden hot flashes. My doctor thinks it might be too early for menopause. I gave birth 16 months ago and didn't have a period for a full year after that; since then, they've been regular but really heavy—I've only had four total. I'm 33, and my medical history includes hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's and PCOS. Here are the results:
FSH 2.5 /3.35-21.63/ follicular phase
LH 1.0 /2.39-6.60/
ESTRADIOL 17 /21-251/
PROLACTIN Normal
My OBGYN couldn't make any sense of this. He said the numbers look weird and referred me to an endocrinologist, but I can't get an appointment for another three months. I'm pretty anxious and just want to know what's going on. He suspects my other hormones might be out of whack too.
What do you all think these results mean?

Here are my blood work results:

RBC - 5.52 (4.34-5.72)
Hemoglobin - 136 (138-175)
Hematocrit - 0.434 (0.415-0.530)
MCV - 78.6 (83-97.2)
MCH - 24.6 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC - 314 (320-345)
RDW 12.8 (9-15)
Platelets - 201 (158-424)
MPV - 8 (6.8-10.4)
WBC - 11.6 (3.4-9.7)

ESR - 9 (2-13)

I’ve been dealing with a throat infection that wouldn't budge even after finishing a course of Augmentin, so I went in for blood work. Based on these results, my doctor switched me over to Klavocin.

Aside from the elevated white cell count—which clearly shows the infection is still hanging on—do these other deviations point to anything else?

Thanks in advance............

Good afternoon. I just got my blood work back from a routine checkup, and they noted that my bilirubin level is at 50, whereas the standard range is typically between 3 and 20. I’m wondering if this is cause for serious concern? It is highly probable that this is a result of my training regimen; I average about an hour and a half to two hours of intense daily workouts. Has anyone else here dealt with similar results due to heavy physical exertion?🤷😕

Thanks!

driftingwalker18 said:Hey everyone, I just got my bloodwork back from a routine checkup. Everything looks fine except for my bilirubin levels—they're sitting at 50, while the standard range is supposed to be between 3 and 20. Is this actually dangerous? I’ve been training pretty hard lately, averaging about an hour and a half to two hours of intense workouts every single day, so I'm wondering if that's the culprit. Has anyone else dealt with this because of heavy exercise?🤷 😕

Thanks!

Check the very first post in this Laboratory Results thread—it explains why your post will likely be moved anyway.

Here’s my report, though it’s a biopsy rather than just a standard Laboratory test...😛They took four thin tissue cylinders, about 0.6 to 1 cm long. Histologically, it shows lymph node tissue with surrounding connective tissue, and there are enlarged sinuses in the medulla area surrounded by proliferating plasma cells. In almost all the cylinders, you can see individual and clustered atypical, medium-sized—sometimes even larger—irregular lymphatic cells. Immunohistochemistry shows them as cd3+, cd2+, cd5+, cd4+, cd8-, cd7-, and cd20-. Also, CD21 staining doesn't show any remaining follicular dendritic network. ???

analogorca33 said:Here are my blood results:
erythrocytes - 5.52 (4.34-5.72)
hemoglobin - 136 (138-175)
hematocrit - 0.434 (0.415-0.530)
MCV - 78.6 (83-97.2)
MCH - 24.6 (27.4-33.9)
MCHC - 314 (320 - 345)
RDW 12.8 (9-15)
platelets - 201 (158-424)
MPV - 8 (6.8-10.4)
leukocytes - 11.6 (3.4-9.7)
ESR - 9 (2-13)
I have a throat infection that didn't clear up after taking Bristol Myers Squibb treatment, so I was sent for blood work. I got the results back and was prescribed the antibiotic Pfizer.
I'm wondering if the other abnormalities in the blood work point to anything else, besides the elevated leukocytes which clearly show the inflammation is still there.
Thanks in advance............

It makes absolutely zero sense to me why they just switched to the exact same antibiotic—amoxicillin/clavulanate—just from a different manufacturer. Like switching from Pfizer to Bristol Myers Squibb. It's the same damn thing!
You need to get a full workup done—CBC, CRP, Iron, UIBC, transaminases, and maybe even a throat swab. And for heaven's sake, get a proper physical exam.

vividsailor7 said:I don't get why they'd give me the exact same antibiotic—Augmentin—just from a different manufacturer. Like switching from Pfizer to Bristol Myers Squibb.
You need a full workup—CBC, CRP, Iron, UIBC, transaminases, maybe a throat swab. And a proper exam.

I have no idea why....

The bloodwork was mostly done (if I could actually make sense of what I read between the lines) because my sedimentation rate was normal. They prescribed this antibiotic as if the first dose didn't even touch the infection....

...and these weird readings weren't even factored in, so I don't know what they mean. I can't tell if they're tied to the inflammation or if they're just independent blood issues unrelated to my strep throat.