[cwilson520]

Confused about test results

by cwilson520 on Tue Dec 22, 2015 6:32 pm

Hi everyone,

I was recently diagnosed with a connective tissue disease as well as POTS, and a myriad of other things related to my arteries, blood pooling, etc (all common in this connective tissue disease and POTS). My cardiologist wanted to run some blood work just to make sure that everything was within normal range, and that there wasn't something else going on.

My cardiologist told me that some of my numbers were a litttttlee high (particularly protein), but I'm also having a weird thing with an artery potentially compressing flow to my kidney. So he said that the protein could be due to that, OR 'don't get scared,' he said, but 'possibly things like multiple myeloma, etc.'

Of course, now I'm scared, and he told me that if I wanted anymore tests done regarding these things, I need to go to a nephrologist, and then an oncologist. I went to my rheumatologist today, and she looked at these numbers and said she wasn't concerned in the slightest, and there's no way I have multiple myeloma, especially because I'm 29, and because it said 'no monoclonal protein seen. consistent with inflammatory or infectious process.'

My results that are of note are below. Also, anytime I get a urinalysis, I have a little protein in my urine. Can anyone tell me what the below could mean? Could it really just be from some inflammation somewhere?

CALCIUM 10.6 MG/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: 8.5-10.5)
PROTEIN, TOTAL 9.1 G/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: 6.0-8.4)
CALCULATED GLOBULIN 4.1 G/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: 2.0-3.8)
IRON, SERUM 219 UG/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: 35-145)
ALBUMIN 5.1 G/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: 2.8-4.9)
GLOBULIN 4.0 G/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: 2.0-3.8)
GAMMA 1.7 G/DL (EXPECTED RANGE: .7-1.5)
POLYCLONAL INCREASE IN GAMMA GLOBULINS. NO MONOCLONAL PROTEIN SEEN. CONSISTENT WITH INFLAMMATORY OR INFECTIOUS PROCESS.\

[Multibilly]

Re: Confused about test results

by Multibilly on Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:48 am

Cwilson,

Welcome to the forum. Your results pretty much sum it up:

"POLYCLONAL INCREASE IN GAMMA GLOBULINS. NO MONOCLONAL PROTEIN SEEN. CONSISTENT WITH INFLAMMATORY OR INFECTIOUS PROCESS."

I'm not a doc, but these results do not suggest multiple myeloma, but instead suggest elevated polyclonal immunoglolbulins, which could be caused by inflammation and/or your connective tissue disorder. See the interpretation section here:

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/8156

"...Increased serum immunoglobulin concentrations occur due to polyclonal or oligoclonal immunoglobulin proliferation in hepatic disease (hepatitis, liver cirrhosis), connective tissue diseases, acute and chronic infections..."

[cwilson520]

Re: Confused about test results

by cwilson520 on Wed Dec 23, 2015 6:24 pm

Thanks so much, Multibilly. I feel like an idiot because after I posted this, I looked up polyclonal immunoglobulins and read more and more about how it can be 'connected' to having a con­nec­tive tissue disease, among other things.

My one doctor who suggested I go to an oncologist did say he read the report very quickly, so I wonder if he overlooked that note in the report.

I'm still a bit concerned about the high level of iron and elevated calcium levels, as my blood test in May 2015 didn't show elevations of either of those. So, those may be worth looking into (although neither doctor I've talked to has even mentioned those levels).

I appreciate your response so much!