Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Support Group
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a progressive, genetic disorder of the kidneys. It occurs in humans and other organisms. PKD is characterised by the presence of multiple cysts (polycystic) in both kidneys. The disease can also damage the liver, pancreas and rarely the heart and brain.
Hello,
I was just diagnosed a few days ago with Lupus. I just moved to Virgina from Michigan and fell into this diagnosis. I started going thru what labs I could find. I have found out since 2006 I have blood and protein in my urinalysis.
My recent UA proteinuria was 30 and my eGFR>59.
My ALT in 2006 was 22, 2007 was 44, 2009 was 37 and recently 14.
My AST in 2006 was 21, 2007 was 22, 2009 was 23 and recently 15.
If you could just explain what all these #'s and names mean I would greatly appreciate it. The doctor(Internist) is referring me to see a rheumatologist and dermatologist. The 1st time seeing this doctor was this past week. I went from having familiar surroundings, doctors and family to lupus........I feel like I should have gotten a manual with the test results. Not to mention a diagnosis I was not expecting..I already have Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Thanks for any help with decoding this=)
I was just diagnosed a few days ago with Lupus. I just moved to Virgina from Michigan and fell into this diagnosis. I started going thru what labs I could find. I have found out since 2006 I have blood and protein in my urinalysis.
My recent UA proteinuria was 30 and my eGFR>59.
My ALT in 2006 was 22, 2007 was 44, 2009 was 37 and recently 14.
My AST in 2006 was 21, 2007 was 22, 2009 was 23 and recently 15.
If you could just explain what all these #'s and names mean I would greatly appreciate it. The doctor(Internist) is referring me to see a rheumatologist and dermatologist. The 1st time seeing this doctor was this past week. I went from having familiar surroundings, doctors and family to lupus........I feel like I should have gotten a manual with the test results. Not to mention a diagnosis I was not expecting..I already have Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Thanks for any help with decoding this=)
There is a condition called Lupis nephritis, so you may want to request a consultation with a nephrologist to get a solid look at how your kidneys are doing, especially in light of the amount of protein in your urine, which is the most signficant sign of kidney damage. Unlike Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), which is what most of us here are dealing with, there are some treatments for lupus neprhitis that can help improve your kidney function and aid in reducing that protein in your urine. In fact there are some very effective treatments even for advanced lupus nephritis...sad to say many of us are envious of that as our disease has no treatment and no cure.
Your recent UA (urinalysis), which I am assuming was just a clean catch sample and not a 24-hour collect, showed a protein level of 30. This is much higher than normal and warrants further investigation from a nephrologist. Your eGFR>59 means your estimated kidney function is greater than 59%, which means it is anywhere from normal to 60%. You don't provide a serum creatinine level, so it's difficult to tell you how exactly your kidneys are actually doing, but suffice it to say that >59% is considered good.
ALT and AST are measurements of liver enzymes and all are normal and are trending down, which is even better (you may have had a mild inflammation in 2007 that caused an elevation in your ALT, but it's long since resolved). Your liver enzymes fluctuate on a regular basis, even during the course of the day, depending on what's happening in your liver at the time. It looks like your internist did a full liver panel as well a basic metabolic panel as well (you probably have results for creatinine, BUN, glucose, calcium, potassium, phophorous, sodium, CO2 and possible one or two others that I just can't recall off the top of my head).
Bottom line, I'd recommend you ask for a consultation to the nephrologist based on the proteinuria and the lupus diagnosis. The sooner you get in and start getting treatment for the damage lupus is causing to your kidneys (the proteinuria) the better off you will be. Treatment is usually just blood pressure medication (an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor), even if your BP is normal. The medication won't drop your BP too low, but it will most likely stop your kidneys from allowing the protein to get out and help you retain the kidney function you do have, ensuring your kidneys continue to function normally and lessening the burden that lupus puts on the kidneys overall. It's essential to be proactive in this case and not just wait until one of your doctors gets around to recommending the referral. If you have a PPO, find a nephrologist in network and make an appointment yourself (ideally someone who works with your rheumatologist and internist, so you have a team who coordinates your medical care, with your as the lead). We are our own best advocates when it comes to taking care of ourselves and dealing with the medical community; no one else has our best interests more at heart than we do!
There is an online test results website:
http://www.martindalecenter.com/Reference_3_LabP.html#LAB-LAB-MED-NORMAL
You need to know what you're looking for, so browse the categories carefully and then make sure that you're looking at the right age groups too. Also keep in mind that these are the norms for one hospital only, and every lab is standardized to a slightly different level based on the machines they have (your lab sheet should have shown expected ranges as well as your results). And as always, ask your doctor what all the results mean and get the details; it's their job to educate and advise you, not just stick a needle in and tell you all is well!
There is a Lupus Support Group here on DS; I see you're a member of it as well and the 2997 members should be a great support to you as well. Here's their link:
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Lupus/support-group
I hope this information helps!
Best wishes,
Ruth