LYME WESTERN BLOT IGG

General Information

Alias: Borrelia burgdorferi

Performed: Sun-Sat

Turn Around Time: 4-5 days

CPT Codes: 86617

Performed By: Referral Lab

Notes: This test should be used for confirmation of an equivocal or positive Borrelia burgdorferi Total Antibodies, IgG and/or IgM test performed on patients greater than four weeks after disease onset. A negative result indicates that the Western blot evaluation for the Lyme antibody demonstrates no antibodies unique to Borrelia burgdorferi, and therefore is not supportive of Lyme disease. A postive result indicates that the Western blot evaluation of Borrelia burgdorferi antibody is consistent with the presence of antibody produced by patients in response to infection with Borrelia burgdorferi and suggests the presence of Lyme disease. Although the test has been shown to have a high degree of reliability for diagnostic purposes, laboratory data should always be correlated with clinical findings. Current CDC recommendations for the serological diagnosis of Lyme disease are to screen with a polyvalent ELISA test and confirm equivocals and positives with Western blot. Both IgM and IgG Western blots should be performed on samples obtained less than four weeks after the appearance of erythema migrans. Only IgG Western blot is to be performed on samples greater than four weeks after disease onset. IgM Western blot in the chronic stage is not recommended and does not aid in the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis or chronic Lyme disease.

Link: Lyme IgG WB

Unacceptable Conditions: CSF or plasma, Contaminated, heat-inactivated, hemolyzed, or severely lipemic specimens.

Components

Specimen Requirements