ANCA range?

[norcalian]

I have no idea how this all works. It seems different labs report different numbers. I've read many threads about people's ANCA levels and I was confused because mine are different.
Kaiser (the wonderful place that they are) says the PR-3 anything above 0.9 is elevated and their max on the chart is 8.0. Mine in June was >8.0 and considered "off the charts" that that point. So I read the tests as the normal range is <0.9. I had to think back to the ol days of my math classes with the little alligator mouths.
So my most recent was 6.9. Whatever the heck that means ......................
I did one on Friday and those results are not in yet. Stay tuned!

I have Kaiser in the East Bay (I have doctors from Walnut Creek to Hayward). I know exactly what you mean by the ANCA PR3 results. When I was first diagnosed I was >8 (they stop counting at 8 for some reason). I did rituxan treatments and they went to .01. For the past few months they have been back to >8. Even with the high ANCA - my Rheumy was not super inclined to treat to the test - she wanted to base it also on how I was feeling. I Felt great for most of that time even with the high ANCA, but recently I started having some slight symptoms (mostly sinuses) as well as some mysterious fever spikes...so I'm back getting rituxan treatments.

I feel like I need to throw a quick shout out for Kaiser NorCal. I've had really good care since diagnosis. In fact, they gave me rituxan before it was FDA approved for WG. My Rheumy at the time said that the studies were too good in regards to the treatment of WG to ignore. It's nice when you don't have shareholders running things.

[NikkiNicole]

I'm holding tight at 4.4 right now for my PR3 which is better than the >8.0! I'm only at 15mg MTX right now, still climbing up to the treatment dose. My CRP is starting to climb back up so I fear my Prednisone taper will not be for long. It seems to go down while I'm on the blasted stuff but I hate it with a passion.
Kaiser NorCal has been great to me. I have an excellent Rheumatologist in San Rafael and the rest of my team is in Santa Rosa. Everything being in one building (sort of) has been a godsend. I can go have lab work done, hit up all my various doctors for differnet appouintments and only have to find one parking spot.
Aside from the usual dragging of the feet for a diagnosis (which sounds like it isn't just a Kaiser thing) I have had excellent care. Being "double covered" with hubby's work doesn't help either.

[Barbara N]

It looks like nobody is using the same chart for the numbers. That makes it really hard for us to determine where we are.If we could exchange information that was on the same grade level than that would be very helpful but everybody, having everybody with a different scale we can-t possible exchange information that would be helpful.

[drz]

Usually on the lab print outs they have a reference range explaining how they measured your samples. If you are off the charts or abnormally high or low, that is main issue. If you are in normal or average range that should mean you are OK in that area. I notice labs some times use different ways to report your data from last visit and it takes a while to learn if this is permanent change in how they report your results. This happens if they get new equipment or change their procedures for evaluation of lab results. There are also often more than one way to analyze certain data and sometimes my first one will indicate a problem but when they run the additional tests after the doctor has looked at results it may then come back as OK and not a cause for worry. This does make it hard to follow trends if you plot values on a graph but my PDA software program seems to list the common ways of recording various lab test results so it maybe it could make allowance too for graphing trends. I usually depend upon the ordering doctor to tell me if there are any disturbing or worrisome trends in my lab results. I keep all my lab work results on my PDA in a program called My Medical Record in case some other doctor has a question or concern about trends in my lab work or wants to know when I had a certain procedure since I go to several different clinics.

[debhaz22]

Barbara,
Thank you! That is EXACTLY what I've been trying to say (you phrased it much better than I) , the numbers aren't at all corresponding to what mine, and some others', are. It's crazy.

[BarbW]

The ratio has to do with titers...concentration levels.. You are 1:80...I am 1:640 for p anca right no w..which explains why I am wiped out