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

Sandra Vaughn50 said:At the facility where I work, the upper limit is right around 170.

I’m guessing those results came from Canada, so that might explain why they look different.

Yeah, from Canada

Just did a quick blood test today for HP and the result came back as +++. Does that mean I'm positive?

I’ve always assumed that seeing a plus sign means things are positive—well, "positive" in the sense that the condition is present—regardless of what illness we're talking about. Anyway, if I could just get some clarification... what exactly does HP mean?

Nicole Newman15 said:In my view, a plus sign means positive regardless of the condition. I just need to figure out if this is H. pylori.

Exactly. That’s what I was assuming. It's Helicobacter pylori.

Wait, are you talking about that stomach bacteria? I actually went through testing myself—mine came back negative—so if yours is positive, then it’s definitely a confirmed thing. I am so sorry to hear that, really.

Triple therapy should help you conquer this beast! 😉 Speaking from experience...

Just stick to the instructions... Take the inhibitor on an empty stomach, have a little something to eat, then take the other two medications.

Good luck!

Hey there,
So, I just finished up an OGTT and a fasting insulin test—and just to be clear, I’m not pregnant. My fasting insulin looks fine, and my fasting glucose was totally normal too, but then after the 120-minute mark, I hit a 7.4. Apparently, at the lab where I went, anything up to 7.0 is considered standard, but now I’m spiraling down a rabbit hole on the internet reading that impaired glucose tolerance doesn't officially kick in until you hit 7.8. So, I'm sitting here wondering if I actually fall into that "impaired" category or if I'm just overthinking things.
I’ve got an appointment scheduled with an endocrinologist in about two weeks, but honestly, I’m being incredibly impatient and can't really sit still waiting for it. :P
The whole reason I'm getting these tests done is because my testosterone levels have been running high, even though I don't have PCOS.

Latest hormone panel results.
Could someone who actually knows what they're doing weigh in? Given my age (19), do I need hormone replacement based on these numbers?
My endocrinologist claims my zero libido is just a symptom of depression, but I’m convinced the depression is the result, not the cause.
Hormones:
LH 6.35 (1.3-9.8)
FSH 3.37 (1.5 - 12.9)
Prolactin 305
SHBG 31 (15-48.3)
TOTAL TESTOSTERONE 14.400nmol/L (one previous reading was as low as 8.70 nmol/L)
Free testosterone 0.300 (0.204-0.637)
DHEA-S 7.21 (1.91-13.30)
ACTH 15.71(H) (1.6-13.9)
Everything looks like it's within the "normal" range, but is "normal" actually optimal? Especially at my age.

Your testosterone levels seem too low for your age. I’m about 16 myself, and I deal with some pretty heavy symptoms—zero libido, weak erections, constant fatigue, low energy, brain fog, and struggling to maintain muscle mass.

It might be worth getting a second opinion and making sure you get your bloodwork done in the evening...

Could someone please help me make sense of these tissue typing results?
My immunologist is out on medical leave right now, and I have no idea when they'll be back, so I haven't even been able to schedule an appointment yet.
This test was actually done back in 2013, and I finally got my hands on the report today. I'm in my late thirties now, and I've been dealing with this constant aching in my bones and muscles all over my body.
HLA-A 11-28 ,
HLA-C NT-NT,
HLA-B 21-ND,
Bw4/Bw6 NT-NT,
HLA-DR 1-13,
DR51/DR52/DR53 52-ND
HLA-DQ 1-ND

Thanks so much in advance!

Karen Wells76 said:Hi there,
I had an OGTT and fasting insulin done (not pregnant). Insulin looks fine, fasting glucose is fine, but after 120 minutes it was 7.4. The lab's normal range goes up to 7.0. Now I'm reading online that impaired glucose tolerance starts at 7.8, so I'm confused—do I fall into that category or not?

No, I don't think you have impaired glucose tolerance yet. Technically, a 7.8 mmol/l at the 120-minute mark is considered the lower threshold for impairment. However, the trend lately has been toward lowering the diagnostic thresholds for things like fasting glucose levels. Whether those changes actually become standard practice remains to be seen.

mellowmoose11 said:Could someone please help me interpret these tissue typing results?
My immunologist is out on medical leave, and since there's no word on when they'll return, I haven't even been scheduled yet.
The test was done back in 2013, and I finally got my hands on the results today. I'm in my late thirties, and I've been dealing with aches in my bones and muscles all over.
HLA-A 11-28,
HLA-C NT-NT,
HLA-B 21-ND,
Bw4/Bw6 NT-NT,
HLA-DR 1-13,
DR51/DR52/DR53 52-ND
HLA-DQ 1-ND

Thanks in advance!

Based on this HLA typing, you don't show any strong predispositions for rheumatic diseases. Some studies link HLA-DR1 to rheumatoid arthritis, though primarily in Israelis and people from the Basque Country. That said, the HLA-DR4 antigen has a much stronger correlation with rheumatoid arthritis, and that wasn't found in your results. There is also the connection between HLA-DR 52 and inflammatory myopathies.

Could someone please help me make sense of this:

So, I've had swollen lymph nodes in my neck for quite a while now. Back in May, I went in for an ultrasound, and the doctor basically told me not to sweat it and suggested I come back in October. Well, I went for another neck ultrasound a few weeks ago in October—this time seeing a different specialist—and they said everything looks fine. They acknowledged the nodes are enlarged, but insisted there’s no need for further testing because nothing looks suspicious.

But here's what's actually eating at me: looking at my CBC results, a year ago I was at 2.4 absolute lymphocytes (30% relative), six months ago I was at 2.9 (36% relative), and today's labs show 3.7 absolute lymphocytes (43% relative)... For context, the normal range for absolute lymphocytes goes up to 3.35, and the relative percentage goes up to 46%.

The doctor reviewed today's results (just today's) and brushed it off as totally fine... What's driving me crazy is that this shift in my bloodwork happened exactly during the same timeframe that my lymph nodes were growing (which, according to the doctors, isn't a concern). On top of all that, I've been feeling generally weak, dealing with some lightheadedness, and occasionally feeling like I'm coming down with a virus.

edit—I ended up talking it over with a friend of mine who's a GP. She told me that since I've already seen two specialists for the neck ultrasound who confirmed the nodes are enlarged but aren't worried about them, I should probably be okay. She mentioned that if there were anything seriously wrong, those doctors would have definitely stepped in and ordered more tests.

Just got back from some lab work at the outpatient clinic—dealing with the lupus stuff...

I don't have the reference values handy since everything was sent via private message—I haven't actually received the physical lab results yet... I think I'll just look up some standard ranges online to use as a guide, since I know those should be accurate enough...

SE - 23 (4-24)
My CRP levels came back at less than 0.3—well under that 0.5 threshold... turns out things are looking pretty steady on that front.
Red blood cell count is sitting at 4.10—the normal range listed here is 3.86 to 5.08... so everything looks pretty steady on that front.
Hemoglobin came back at 130—the normal range here is 119 to 157... looks like I'm right in the middle of things...
HTC — 0.390 (0.356–0.470)
MCV is sitting at 95.3—which falls right within that 83 to 97.2 range... looks normal to me.
L - 2.8 (normal range 3.4-9.7) — along with that, it shows DKS seg 57, Ly 31, and Mo 12... So, what exactly is DKS syndrome...?
Trc - 179 (158-424)...
GLC - 4.8... What exactly is this?...
Urea levels came back at 4.7...
Creatinine - 86...
My ALP came back at 44—the normal range starts at 54 and goes up to 119... definitely a bit on the low side...
ALT levels are sitting at 17—the normal range usually goes from 10 to 36... just wanted to share that update.
My GGT came back at 13—the normal range is listed as 9 to 35... so everything looks pretty steady on that front...
CK - 121
LDH is sitting at 172...
K - 4.9
Sodium levels at 139...
Copper levels at 17.5...
GF-CKD... Does anyone happen to know the reference values for this? ... 77.9 mL/min/1.73m2...
GF-MDRD... Is this exactly the same as those other reference values?... 66.8 mL/min/1.73m2...

Creatinine clearance is sitting at 74.9... What kind of reference values are we talking about here...?
BI URET - 0.14 g/dL What exactly does this mean—and what’s the reference value...?

TSH is sitting at 0.70...
T4—150.3...
RF - 10.7...

ANA - spotted...
SS-A - 282
SS-B - 100...
The results came back for dsDNA, Histone, Sm, U1-RNP, DNA-topo1, Jo-1, and CENP-B—all negative...
C3 levels came back at 0.77...
C4 - 0.16...
CH50—it’s looking pretty normal...

ELEF serum protein levels came back at 66 g/L...
IgG levels came back at 6.43...
lgA - 0.58...
IgM levels sitting at 3.58 g/L... a bit higher than what you'd typically see, I suppose—definitely worth keeping an eye on...
Albumin levels are sitting at 63.1...
AlGl - 4.5...
AlGl2 - 10.2...
BeG - 9.8...
GaGl 12.4%...
The A/G ratio is sitting at 1.71...

I don't have any issues with my vision, and I haven't had any trouble with saliva or tearing either—everything seems to be working perfectly fine...
My SSA and SSB levels just keep climbing—even though I’ve stepped up my treatment... I was originally on 10 mg of Decortin and taking Resochin twice a day at 250 mg, but since the Decortin wasn't really doing the trick, things shifted. I actually went up to 20 mg for a bit before dropping back down to 5 mg, and now I've bumped the Resochin up to two 250 mg doses daily... still seeing those numbers rise...

Results from September 16, 2014...
SSA - 56...
ssB - 108

Results from December 2014...
SSA - 91
ssB - 38

restlessangler said:Lab results from the outpatient clinic (SCLE - lupus)

L - 2.8 (3.4-9.7) - additionally, it notes in parentheses: DKS seg 57, Ly 31, Mo 12 (what exactly is DKS seg?)

Differential blood count, segmented leukocytes (granulocytes)

GLC - 4.8 (what does this represent?)

Glucose.

GF-CKD (reference values? does anyone know) - 77.9 (mL/min/1.73m2)
GF-MDRD (is this the same as above regarding reference values?) - 66.8 (mL/min/1.73m2)

Creatinine clearance 74.9 (reference values?)
BI URET - 0.14 g/dU (what is this and what are the reference values?)

GF stands for glomerular filtration rate—it reflects kidney function—based on this result, you have Stage 2 chronic kidney disease (out of 5 total)
Kidney function is still quite adequate—a normal GF is typically above 100.

BI URET refers to protein levels in 24-hour urine—the normal range is under 0.15 g.

As for interpreting the rise in ssA and ssB antibodies without any Sjögren's symptoms, I am not qualified enough to say—perhaps someone else here might know more.

Sandra Vaughn50 said:Complete blood count, segmented leukocytes (granulocytes)

Glucose.

GF stands for glomerular filtration—basically shows how your kidneys are doing—and based on this result, you have stage 2 chronic kidney disease (out of 5)
Kidney function is still pretty decent at this point. A normal GF is usually north of 100.

Protein in 24h urine—normal should be under 0.15 g.

As for interpreting those elevated ssA and ssB antibodies without any Sjögren's symptoms... I'm probably not the best person to ask. Maybe someone else here might have more insight there.

Thanks so much for the info.
I tried Googling the GF thing, but I couldn't really find clear values—just a bunch of overly complicated formulas that went way over my head.
My doctor didn't mention that specific part at all; he was mostly focused on the leukopenia and lymphopenia...
Are you sure about that GF reading? Should I be pestering my doctors to find out what's going on, or is it nothing to worry about?
And what's the deal with the protein in my urine? It's right at the upper limit... personally, I wouldn't stress too much, but since I'm just a layman, should I be paying attention to that too?

restlessangler said:Are you certain about this GF value? Should I be pestering my doctors to find out if there is an issue—or is this nothing to worry about?
And what about the protein in my urine? It’s right at the upper limit—personally, I wouldn't stress over it, but since I am just a layman, should I be paying attention to that as well?

Kidney function isn't perfect—certainly not like a twenty-year-old athlete's—but it isn't clinically significant yet.
It becomes a concern once the GF drops below 60, which would move kidney disease into Stage 3. At that point, along with arterial hypertension—a common companion to chronic kidney disease—anemia can emerge in about 10% of cases (which, judging by your labs, you do not have).

There is no need to bother anyone—especially not your doctors🕺—as your results currently just warrant monitoring. If hypertension were present, I might suggest an ACE inhibitor (a type of antihypertensive) as part of a regimen.

A proteinuria level of 0.14 g is actually quite good, so please don't worry! Of course, that doesn't mean it will always stay that way—especially considering your underlying diagnosis, which often takes a toll on the kidneys—but these numbers serve as a baseline for regular checkups to catch any shifts early on.

Best regards.

Sandra Vaughn50 said:Your kidney function isn't exactly perfect—it won't be like a 20-year-old athlete's—but it’s nothing clinically concerning right now.
It really starts becoming an issue when the GF drops below 60, which moves the kidney disease into stage 3. At that point, combined with arterial hypertension—which often goes hand-in-hand with chronic kidney issues—about 10% of cases see anemia pop up too (though looking at your labs, you don't have that).

There's no need to go pushing anyone around, especially not your doctors 🕺, since your results are basically just for monitoring at this stage. If you happen to deal with high blood pressure, I might suggest an ACE inhibitor as part of a treatment plan...

That proteinuria reading of 0.14 g is actually great, so please don't worry! Of course, that doesn't mean it will stay that way forever—especially considering your underlying diagnosis can be pretty tough on the kidneys—but that's exactly why we do these regular check-ups, so we can catch any shifts early on.

Best regards.

Well, no wonder he hasn't mentioned anything until now.
The main thing for me is just knowing there's nothing to stress about 🙂

Thanks again.

Joseph Taylor3 said:I was wondering if anyone could help me make sense of this:

Basically, I've had swollen lymph nodes in my neck for quite a while now. Back in May, I went in for an UTZ, and the doctor there didn't think it was anything major, so he just told me to come back in October for a follow-up. Well, I went for another neck UTZ in October (just a few weeks ago), but this time with a different doctor. This guy also said everything looks fine—yeah, the nodes are enlarged, but he insisted there’s no need for further testing because everything looks okay.

But here's what's actually messing with my head: my CBC from a year ago showed absolute lymphocytes at 2.4 (30% relative). Six months ago, they were at 2.9 (36% relative). Today's CBC shows them at 3.7 (43% relative)... For context, the normal range for absolute lymphocytes goes up to 3.35, and the relative range goes up to 46%.

The doctor looked over today's results (just the current ones) and brushed it off like it's totally fine... What's eating at me is that this shift in my CBC happened exactly during the same timeframe that my lymph nodes have been growing (which the doctors told me not to worry about). On top of all that, I've been feeling generally weak, getting lightheaded, and occasionally feeling like I'm coming down with some kind of flu.

edit—I ended up talking to an acquaintance of mine who's a GP, explained the whole situation, and she basically said that since two different specialists did the neck UTZ and confirmed the nodes are enlarged but aren't worried, it should be fine. She mentioned that if there were anything serious going on, those doctors would have taken action already.

Just wanted to ask one more thing if anyone here knows their stuff: if the doctor noted on the latest UTZ report that there are no pathomorphological changes in the nodes, does that pretty much rule out the scary stuff, like lymphoma or leukemia?

Joseph Taylor3 said:I just wanted to ask once more—if someone with more expertise might know—if a doctor noting no pathomorphological changes in the nodes during the last UZV scan effectively rules out the more serious stuff, like lymphomas or leukemias...

An absolute lymphocyte count up to 5 is perfectly acceptable—it doesn't warrant any extra hematology workups.
It’s likely just reactive changes in the lymph nodes—which, clearly, didn't look suspicious enough on the UZV to justify a biopsy.

My question is this: is mononucleosis ruled out?