Blood Test and Auto Immune Disease

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around blood tests related to autoimmune diseases, including the duration of lab work, methods for testing autoimmune deficiencies, and the processes for counting blood cells. Participants also explore the distinctions between various conditions such as multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy, as well as the challenges faced in obtaining necessary tests.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the time required for lab results can vary based on the type of test and the number of samples being processed, with some tests taking 24 hours, others up to a week.
  • Questions are raised about the methods used for testing autoimmune deficiencies, including specific inquiries about multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
  • One participant describes a method for counting white blood cells using a hemocytometer after lysing red blood cells.
  • Another participant suggests a quick test for red blood cells to check for anemia by observing the percentage of red blood cells in a capillary tube.
  • There are discussions about the challenges of obtaining blood tests, with some participants sharing experiences of delays and difficulties in having tests ordered by physicians.
  • Clarifications are made regarding the distinction between muscular dystrophies and autoimmune diseases, with references to specific tests for diagnosing multiple sclerosis.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the classification of muscular dystrophy as an autoimmune deficiency, leading to corrections and further discussion on related muscle disorders.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints regarding the classification of muscular dystrophy and its relation to autoimmune diseases, indicating a lack of consensus on this topic. Additionally, there are differing experiences and opinions about the efficiency of blood testing and the processes involved.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve assumptions about the necessity of tests and the criteria for diagnosing conditions, which may not be universally applicable. The conversation reflects a range of personal experiences and interpretations of medical practices.

misskitty
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Vampyred!

I have a question...how long does it usually take a lab to do blood work on you? :confused:
 
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It depends on the type of test and the number of sample at the time. Lab tend to do sample by batch.

Some test will take 24 hours other 48 hours some may take up to a week. A good and high through put lab can do almost every test within 48 hours.
 
How do they do things like Auto Immune Deficency tests?
 
Auto Immune Deficiency...

I had a few questions about Auto Immune Deficiency...like MS and MD.

How do they test for things like that?
How do they treat it?

Also, how do the technicians do a blood count, red and white?

just curious.
 
Btw: thanks to whom ever linked these...I wanted to edit them, but couldn't do it without deleting them.
 
misskitty said:
Also, how do the technicians do a blood count, red and white?

just curious.

I don't know about your other questions but for white blood cells WBC, here is a method they could use:
First you lyse (break) the red blood cells, which essentially removes them from view. Then you take a dilution of the remaining sample and place it on a hemocytometer. This is a grid pattern on a slide you can observe under a light microscope. You just count up the number of nuclei you see on the grid and multiply that by a known factor (for that cytometer). This gives you the number of cells per volume of blood.

A good reference on how white blood cells are counted in animals can be viewed at a veterinary science website at Cornell Univ. It has a nice diagram of the hemocytometer. :rolleyes:

http://www.diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/clinpath/modules/hemogram/wbc.htm

I am familiar with these calibrated slides. I have used them to count phytopathogenic fungal spores, to determine their concentration in suspension.
 
That makes sense. How do they do a red count to check for anemia (sp?)? Or do they just check the levels of iron in you blood.
 
A quick test for red blood cell is to take blood in a capillary and let the RBC settle at the bottom of the capillary tube. If the RBC are below 50% (give or take) then the person might be suffering from annemia. RBC above 50% is also not a good thing.
 
misskitty said:
I have a question...how long does it usually take a lab to do blood work on you? :confused:

i got my results always the day later..

but the work for the test wouldn't cost so much time for the lab... some minutes until some hours, i think...

Greets
Soeren
 
  • #10
So I should have my results by the next time I visit my PCP?
 
  • #11
Depending on when you are visiting. Some doctors request blood test results faster and most likely have the results for the next visit.
 
  • #12
I hate waiting for them. Especially since it took over two months to even get the tests ordered.
 
  • #13
Did you call your doctor and ask? That would be the easiest way to find out. Sometimes they get the results in quickly, but as long as you have an office visit scheduled, don't bother calling with the results if they can tell you in person. Some doctors also have a bad habit of not calling if there's nothing abnormal requiring follow-up, which leaves you stuck wondering and worrying unless you call them and ask.
 
  • #14
They wouldn't order the tests. Even though I requested them several times. All of my physicians kept telling me that the tests were not necessary. Until I met withone doctor and told him why I had had such difficulty with this, he actually asked me it I had had a blood work-up, he said they should have ordered the tests a long time ago. Especially since nothing had shown up on the MRI.
 
  • #15
misskitty said:
I had a few questions about Auto Immune Deficiency...like MS and MD.

How do they test for things like that?
How do they treat it?

Also, how do the technicians do a blood count, red and white?

just curious.


Not sure what MD is but as for multiple sclerosis there is no single blood test that confirms its diagnosis. It is usually a constellation of tests and their results... such as an MRI that shows demylenation process, a visual evoked potential that is abnormal (special type of EEG) and a spinal tap ( to look for oligoclonal antibodies) combined with clinical presentation that supports the diagnosis of MS.
 
Last edited:
  • #16
MD is the abbreviation for Muscular Dystrophy. Those test sound like a blast! :frown:
 
  • #17
misskitty said:
MD is the abbreviation for Muscular Dystrophy. Those test sound like a blast! :frown:


Muscular dystrophies in general are considered genetic diseases rather than autoimmune diseases.
 
  • #18
I was told it is also considered an auto immune deficency.
 
  • #19
misskitty said:
I was told it is also considered an auto immune deficency.


No, you were told wrong. Perhaps they meant other muscle disorders such as myasthenia gravis or polymyositis which are autoimmune disorders but are not muscular dystrophies. This link gives a nice synopsis about the different main types of muscular disorders, delineating the inflammatory, autoimmune types from the congenital muscular dystrophys. http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9056/muscle.html
 

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