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

leeloo27 said:Guidelines for posting questions regarding Lab Results - Opinions:

To ensure you receive the most precise and accurate feedback regarding the interpretation of your lab work, we suggest including the following details when transcribing your results:

- complete results - many values cannot be properly interpreted if they are listed in isolation without the context of the surrounding data.
- reference ranges - if your report includes reference ranges, please include them. Different labs use different standards, so a number alone is meaningless without knowing its specific reference range.
- age - you don't need to provide your exact birthdate, but a general age bracket—such as early twenties, late forties, etc.—is helpful since normal values vary significantly across different age groups.
- the reason for testing (your symptoms) - this is perhaps the most critical piece of information. It is nearly impossible for anyone to accurately interpret your results if they don't know why you were sent for testing in the first place.
- a brief history of other medical conditions - if you have existing health issues, mentioning them provides a much more complete clinical picture.
- anything else - it would also be useful to note if you are pregnant or experiencing other physiological changes, as these factors heavily influence laboratory findings.

I went in for blood work today and I'm looking at the results now... Does anyone know what "Morph.ch." stands for? I'm assuming it means "morphological change"... and what does "anisocito. micro" mean (that's the result)?
Thanks.

😕 😕

I'm in the same boat.

I just got my lab results back today, and they're just a bunch of confusing abbreviations.
Luckily, they’re reporting normal values on their end, so I can finally see exactly where I stand against the borderline.

Could someone please explain what RBC, HGB, and WBC stand for? 😕
Thanks.

Red blood cells—erythrocytes, if you want to get technical. They're essentially the delivery trucks of the circulatory system, tasked with the endless, repetitive grind of hauling oxygen from your lungs out to every single cell in the body. It’s a heavy lift, and when they aren't functioning properly, everything starts to fall apart.
Hemoglobin levels. It’s one of those metrics that people tend to obsess over without really grasping the broader physiological context, though I suppose that’s par for the course when dealing with bloodwork. When you look at hemoglobin WBC, you aren't just looking at a single number on a lab report from a clinic in Chicago; you're looking at a snapshot of how the body is managing oxygen transport and its overall hematological stability. It’s easy to get caught up in whether a value is slightly above or below a standard range, but the reality is often more nuanced than a simple binary. If you're staring at your results wondering what it all means, just remember that these numbers are part of a much larger, moving picture of your internal chemistry.
White Blood Cell count.

Does anyone actually have any idea what that's supposed to mean?! 😲 😕

😢

I really don't know, but I'm hoping someone with some actual expertise pops up here...

Joshua Jones said:I went to get my blood drawn today and I'm looking at the results now... Does anyone know what "morphological change" means here? I'm assuming that's what it stands for... and what does "aniso micro" mean (that's the result)?
Thanks.

😕 😕

You've got morph in your blood. 😉

Betty Bennett10 said:RBC - Red Blood Cells
HGB - Hemoglobin
WBC - White Blood Cells

Thanks 👋

Basically, "anizo" is short for anisocytosis. That’s just a fancy way of saying the red blood cells aren't all uniform—they show up in all sorts of different sizes and shapes. If you break down the Greek roots, "an" means negation, "isos" means equal, and "cytos" refers to the cell, which in this context is the erythrocyte.
Then you've got "micro," which stands for microcytosis. That's when the erythrocytes are morphologically smaller than they're supposed to be.
Anyway, I figured I'd throw that out there since nobody else seemed interested in actually explaining it.

Thank you, Thomas Young4. But tell me, do you actually understand the implications of this? Is this something I should be genuinely concerned about? 😲

My doctor thinks I might be dealing with an autoimmune disorder, but I’m struggling to figure out exactly what we’re looking at. Any idea how to narrow this down?

Here are my lab results:
MCH 32.3 (Reference Range: 27-31) pg
URINE: C3 0.89 g/L (Reference Range: 0.93-1.88) L

Thanks in advance for any insight.
I could really use some quick feedback on this.

Look, honestly, in most cases, when doctors are stumped on what’s actually going on, they just end up labeling everything as some kind of autoimmune disorder. It isn't always a sure thing, but it’s basically the easiest way to give an answer even if proving it is a total nightmare.
My best advice? Go out and get a second opinion, especially if this was just some random GP at a local clinic telling you this stuff.
I mean, they're basing this whole diagnosis on just those two little things you mentioned!!

Seriously, go find someone else to check you out—it's a must!

You really ought to go see an immunologist; drawing conclusions based on just two biochemical markers seems a bit sketchy to me...

Diagnosing autoimmune diseases is pretty tricky because the symptoms are usually so vague, and things are rarely black and white.

If you need to, definitely look for a second—or even a third—opinion.

Maybe try posting this on a forum for medical school students?
My sister-in-law claims these are C3 markers for a tumor, but honestly, you'd probably need a specialist to give you any real specifics.

I don't get why you can't just get a straight answer out of this doctor! It’s not like we all went to medical school to decipher what tumor markers are or what some random code like xyz 236 actually means. Cut the crap—just tell me plainly if it's cancer or not! All this dancing around is exhausting. When my father-in-law got sick, they kept us running in circles like idiots until my son finally lost his temper. Then, suddenly, we knew it was liver cancer and that was that. Give me a diagnosis in plain English so we can figure out the treatment plan. I'm not interested in playing games with secret codes!😠It drives me insane!

driftingwolf41 said:My doctor thinks this is an autoimmune disease—how can I figure out which one it actually is?

Lab results:
MCH 32.3 REFERENCE RANGE: (27-31)pg
URINE: C3 0.89 G/L reference: L0.93-1.88

Thanks in advance!
Please reply ASAP

Your MCH value basically tells you how much hemoglobin is packed into a single red blood cell.
So, based on your doctor's lab report, yours is 32.3, while the "standard" range listed here is 27-31.
That said, there’s another set of standards where the average range is 26-34 pg—if you go by those, you're perfectly fine. At least that’s how my own labs look...
As for the urine test, it looks like a negligible elevation. It could be something, but it doesn't necessarily point to a major illness; it might just be a minor imbalance.
In any case, go find a second opinion from another specialist who will run more detailed tests—and let us know what happens!

jadetinker85 said:You might want to try asking over on a Johns Hopkins medical school forum instead?
My sister-in-law keeps insisting these are C3 markers for some kind of tumor, though I guess you'd really need a specialist to give you the full breakdown.

if C3 is actually a tumor marker, isn't that usually found in a urine sample?😕

C3 is a complement component, not a tumor marker
The complement system is just one part of the body's defense against infection.

ps. You aren't getting a diagnosis from anyone based on those numbers alone.

swiftbison7 said:If C3 is a tumor marker, is it tested via urine?😕

Look, I’m a total amateur here—but as far as I know, C3 and C4 are proteins measured in urine. If those levels are spiked, you're usually looking at an infection, an autoimmune issue, or even liver damage.
Infections could mean anything from malaria to sepsis, or even viral stuff like HIV and hepatitis.
Autoimmune-wise, it could be rheumatoid arthritis (I don't know the specifics)...
But it isn't used as a tumor marker.😁

I’m just a layman here, really—just passing along what I’ve picked up. Did a little digging online, and apparently, an elevated C3 can be a red flag for cancer, though it can point to plenty of other issues too.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/blood-disorders/symptoms-causes/ycqa-20353030

First off, her C3 levels are low, not high. Like I said, this is part of an immune system designed to fight off foreign invaders—whether they’re actually external or just our own cells being misidentified by the body.

C3 isn't a tumor marker, and it's incredibly non-specific...

Standard tumor markers would be things like beta HCG or CEA...
But none of them are perfect. Still, they're definitely more specific than C3.

I wouldn't jump straight to thinking about cancer. The probability is very low.

(My opinion based on my knowledge of internal medicine)