I googled CSF polyclonal immunoglobulin increase and got this link:
link .
Which brings up the question, what were the numbers on the quantitative part? They DID do a quantitative, right? Do you have a serum/plasma albumin result?
I would agree that having a level that is 0.01 over the cutoff would be suspect. At that level, if we were to send the sample back through the instrument for another run (I work in a medical lab in chemistry), we could very likely get a slightly lower or higher number, like 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42. (for example, critically low glucose is 40. We always repeat criticals and this could repeat at 41, not critical, but entirely normal repeat value--happens a lot) That's the point where doctors have to look at symptoms of the patient matching up with the lab values. Doesn't seem like your doc is doing that. But maybe the trip to the specialty clinic would put the issue to rest for good? And if it put the MS out of the picture, maybe something else would be INTO the picture in hopes of nailing down an issue or pointing you in another direction to get help.
I wish I could help more with this, but I've forgotten a lot of my immunology stuff from school after working about 10 yrs in chemistry and it's a matter of googling and giving you info to consider. Hope this gives you a direction to pursue to understand your results. And I would make use of the
labtestsonline.org. Their info is valid and understandable.
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Some stuff copied from ARUP lab's website:
ARUP LABORATORIES | 500 Chipeta Way | Salt Lake City, Utah 84108-1221 | (800) 522-2787 |
www.arupconsult.com
| www.aruplab.com
© 2006–2013 ARUP Laboratories. All Rights Reserved.Immunoglobulin Disorders - p.2 of 11
Other Testing:
IgA – CSF immunoglobulins
•Serum indexed against CSF may be diagnostic in multiple sclerosis (MS)
IgG – CSF immunoglobulins
•Majority (93-99%) of patients with clinically definite MS will have CSF abnormalities, including oligoclonal immunoglobulins and increased synthesis of IgG
CSF index and serum albumin ratio may indicate MS
•Index of ≥0.77 indicates increased synthesis, found in about 90% of MS cases
•Ratio of ≥0.27 is found in about 70% of MS cases
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And from another site:
polyclonal immunoglobulins info (after the paragraph below, there is a chart of varied conditions associated with varying polyclonal immunoglobulins)
Polyclonal Immunoglobulins
Polyclonal increases in immunoglobulins have been associated with many disease states (Table 46-6) (Cushman, 1973; Buckley, 1977). Serum protein electrophoresis is often sufficient to establish this condition. Immunoelectrophoresis, immunofixation, and determination of individual immunoglobulins or immunoglobulin light chains may be helpful at times to confirm a polyclonal distribution or an increased concentration in one or more immunoglobulin classes. Increases in serum immunoglobulins may result from decreased catabolism and increased synthesis. The control mechanisms for these events are not well understood. The implications of elevated immunoglobulins are unknown. Most immunoglobulins appear not to be directed toward a definable specific antigenic determinant, or set of specific antigenic determinants. It should also be noted that most autoantibodies are not monoclonal but polyclonal. In general, persistent polyclonal increases in gammaglobulin are thought to be related to antigenic stimulation of a chronic nature or loss of immunoglobulin regulation.
