![]() The labs in the US providing complete Western Blot Lyme panels are: IgeneX in California, Coppe Lab in Wisconsin, and Clongen on the East Coast. The only way to test these 2 proteins is to send the sample to a lab which produces their test reagents in house. Because a vaccine has been in development since the 1990’s, the CDC does not allow inclusion of 2 of the most specific Borrelia proteins in test kits sold to labs.There are many other Borrelia strains in the US known to cause Lyme disease symptoms, but proteins from these strains are not used in testing. Borrelia proteins used for human testing are always from a specific Borrelia strain found on Long Island in the 1980’s.There are several pertinent issues regarding interpretation of Lyme Western Blot tests: Western Blot for Lyme is where I usually start the lab investigation. However, if the immune system is making antibodies to any single Borrelia protein, then it is reasonable to conclude the infection is present. To get a CDC reportable diagnosis of Lyme disease on a Western Blot, the sample needs to react to 5 proteins on the IgG antibody test or 2 proteins on the IgM test. This test looks at antibodies made by the patient’s immune system to several Borrelia proteins. If the Lyme ELISA test is positive, then Western Blots for IgG and IgM antibodies to Borrelia are done.If this test is negative, then physicians typically conclude the patient doesn’t have Lyme disease. This test is negative in half the patients who actually are infected with Borrelia. The CDC standard screening test is ELISA antibody testing for Borrelia burgdorferi.The info which follows focuses on aspects I believe relevant to providing good patient care: In addition, there are multiple strains of Borrelia in North America.Ī thorough explanation of the controversy regarding Lyme testing and treatment is given in Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic by Pamela Weintraub, Science Editor for Discover Magazine. Some other organisms ticks share are Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Anaplsma, Mycoplasma, and Babesia. ![]() The Lyme bacteria is named Borrelia burgdorferi. ![]() However, ticks have specialized mouth anatomy and saliva which disables our immune defenses at the bite. Many of the same organisms are transmitted by mosquito, biting flies, fleas, and even spiders. Lyme is an umbrella term for bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections transmitted by tick bite. ![]() medical-conditions/sexual-and-reproductive-health/hiv-aids/diagnosis/western-blot-test.I get frequent questions about testing for Lyme. Updated CDC recommendation for serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-testing/test-types.html Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: Procedure and some applications. Western blot: Technique, theory, and troubleshooting. aboutAPHL/publications/Documents/ID_HIV-1-1-WesternBlotBrief_62015.pdf Limitations for the use of HIV-1 western blot in plasma/serum. ![]() 5/case-of-month-possible-false-positive-hiv-test/
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |