Inflammation Lab Tests

This test for adrenal insufficiency includes 4 measurements of your salivary Cortisol level during one day. Cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone" can be either too high or too low which may be a sign of adrenal distress.

cCRP is used as an aid in the identification of individuals at risk for future cardiovascular disease. When used in conjunction with traditional clinical laboratory evaluation of acute coronary syndromes, cCRP may be useful as an independent marker of prognosis for recurrent events in patients with stable coronary disease or acute coronary syndrome.

A C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Quantitative test is used to aid in the diagnosis of infections or diseases which cause inflammation. CRP is a protein produced by the liver. Higher than normal concentrations of CRP are often an indicator of infection or inflammation in the body. This test can help determine if an infection is present but not the source of the infection. Conditions that can cause elevated CRP levels include but are not limited to Sepsis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Arthritis, Lupus, Vasculitis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is present in the blood. It is produced when the body breaks down an amino acid called methionine, which is found in protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products. Homocysteine is normally converted back into methionine or other useful compounds in the body.

Elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood, known as hyperhomocysteinemia, have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. High homocysteine levels may also be associated with an increased risk of certain other health conditions, such as osteoporosis and pregnancy complications.

Homocysteine levels can be measured with a blood test. Elevated levels can be caused by a deficiency of certain nutrients, such as vitamins B6, B12, and folate, or by certain medical conditions or medications. In some cases, high homocysteine levels can be treated with supplements or lifestyle changes, such as increasing the intake of these nutrients or quitting smoking. Speaking with a healthcare provider if you are concerned about your homocysteine levels is essential.

Cortisol (hydrocortisone) is the most prominent glucocorticosteroid, and it is essential for the maintenance of several body functions. The most important physiological effects of cortisol are the increase in blood glucose levels (enhancement of gluconeogenesis, catabolic action) and its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive action.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR or sed rate) is the rate at which red blood cells sediment in a period of one hour. It is a common hematology test, and is a non-specific measure of inflammation. To perform the test, anticoagulated blood is traditionally placed in an upright tube, known as a Westergren tube, and the rate at which the red blood cells fall is measured and reported in mm at the end of one hour. Elevated levels of ESR are usually found in people who have different types of diseases such as autoimmune disease, anemia, kidney disease, cancer, and other health complications.

CPK is creatine phosphokinase, an enzyme in the heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. High CPK can indicate muscle destruction, heart attacks, and central nervous system issues. Long-term exposure to high CPK can load up your kidneys and cause muscle loss and weakness. Sometimes we have no symptoms when CPK is high, but most of the time, we have body aches and soreness. CPK can be increased by resistance exercise, so refrain from working out for at least five days before getting the CPK test.

The LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) blood test measures the level of LDH in your blood. LDH is an enzyme in many body organs and tissues, including the heart, liver, muscles, and red blood cells. The LDH test is often used to help diagnose and monitor various medical conditions, such as anemia, heart attack, and liver disease. It may also be ordered to check for tissue damage or monitor treatment effectiveness for specific conditions. Since lactic dehydrogenase is present in many body tissues, its diagnostic usefulness is limited. Tissue specificity may be enhanced by LDH isoenzyme analysis.

This test includes prothrombin time plus INR and it measures how long it takes your blood to clot. It’s used to monitor the effects of the medication warfarin, and can help identify possible hereditary and clotting disorders. This test does not require fasting. Prothrombin Time (PT) is a blood test used in the evaluation of the extrinsic coagulation system; aid in screening for congenital and acquired deficiencies of factors II, V, VII, X, and fibrinogen. This test is used clinically for the therapeutic monitoring of warfarin (Coumadin®) anticoagulant therapy.

Women and men living with fibromyalgia do not have characteristic or consistent abnormalities on laboratory testing. However, routine laboratory and imaging studies are important to help rule out diseases with similar manifestations and to assist in diagnosis of certain inflammatory diseases that frequently coexist with fibromyalgia. These are the lab tests commonly checked by physicians treating fibromyalgia patients: CMP, CBC, Urinalysis, TSH, Vitamin D & B-12, Iron/TIBC, Magnesium in RBC, ESR, CPK and Ferritin.

This test measures ANA Screen, IFA, with Reflex to Titer and Pattern - Antinuclear antibodies are associated with rheumatic diseases including Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE), mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, polymyositis, CREST syndrome, and neurologic SLE.

The tests are usually ordered for patients prior to surgery to ensure normal clotting ability.  The PT and PTT Blood Tests are useful in the diagnosis of excessive, unexplained bleeding in patients who are not taking blood-thinning medications. These bleeding disorders include conditions such as nosebleeds, bruising, heavy menstrual periods, blood in the stool and/or urine, and bleeding gums, among others,

This high sensitivity CRP test is used along other blood markers to assess a patient's potential risk for cardiovascular disease. To illustrate the difference between CRP and hs-CRP, traditional testing measures CRP (quantitative) within the range of 10 to 1,000 mg/L, whereas hs-CRP values range from 0.5 to 10 mg/L. In simpler terms, hs-CRP measures trace amounts of CRP in the blood. Hs-CRP is the analyte of choice for cardiovascular risk assessment

D-Dimer is one of the by-products that can be measured after the fibrinolytic system is turned on. Fibrinolytic activation and intravascular thrombosis can be measured by the amount of D-Dimer in the blood. D-Dimer is especially helpful when ruling out venous thromboembolism in people who are at high risk.

This heart test panel includes blood tests that measure variables that affect heart health like electrolytes (CMP), hematocrit and immune cells (CBC), Cardio IQ Advanced Lipid Panel with Particle Sizes, and inflammatory markers like homocysteine, High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, and D-Dimer.

This panel includes blood tests that are related to inflammation and certain diseases.  Blood tests included are: CRP, CPK, LDH, Ferritin, Homocysteine and ESR

Lactate dehydrogenase (LD) is an enzyme that is found in almost all of the body's cells, but only a small amount of it is usually detectable in the blood. LD is released from the cells into the bloodstream when cells are damaged or destroyed. Because of this, the LD test can be used as a general marker of injury to cells. Although there is some overlap, each of the five LD isoenzymes tends to be concentrated in specific body tissues. This panel provides 5 types of isoenzymes to detect if LD is coming from the heart, red blood cells, kidneys, lungs, white blood cells, lymph nodes, muscle, or liver.

This lab test panel includes Total CK (or CPK) and relative percentage of BB (CK-1), MB (CK-2), and MM (CK-3); the percentage of macro CK, if present. The CK or CPK isoenzyme test is used to diagnose myocardial infarction (MI). Three fractions normally may be found, each an isoenzyme: • MM is found in normal serum. • MB is the myocardial fraction associated with MI and occurs in certain other states. MB can be used in the estimation of infarct size.