Bartonella quintana Antibodies, IgG & IgM
Test Mnemonic
BARQAB
CPT Codes
- 86611 - QTY (2)
Aliases
- Trench Fever
Includes
- Bartonella quintana Antibody, IgG
- Bartonella quintana Antibody, IgM
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Serum | SST (Gold) | Refrigerated | Separate serum from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection and transfer into a standard aliquot tube. Parallel testing is preferred, and convalescent specimens must be received within 30 days from receipt of the acute specimens. Label specimens plainly as 'acute' or 'convalescent.' |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | After separation from cells: 48 hours |
| Refrigerated | After separation from cells: 2 weeks |
| Frozen | After separation from cells: 1 year (avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles) |
Days Performed
Mon, Thu
Turnaround Time
2 - 9 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) |
Reference Range
| B. quintana IgG Ab | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Negative: <1:64 - No significant level of Bartonella quintana IgG antibody detected | Equivocal: 1:64 - 1:128 - Questionable presence of Bartonella quintana IgG antibody detected. Repeat testing in 10-14 days may be helpful | Positive: >=1:256 - Presence of IgG antibody to Bartonella quintana detected, suggestive of current or past infection | |||
| B. quintana IgM Ab | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Negative: <1:16 - No significant level of Bartonella quintana IgM antibody detected | Positive: >=1:16 - Presence of IgM antibody to Bartonella quintana detected, suggestive of current or recent infection |
Special Info
Parallel testing is preferred and convalescent specimens must be received within 30 days from receipt of the acute specimens. Label specimens plainly as 'acute' or 'convalescent.' Hemolyzed, contaminated, or severely lipemic specimens will be rejected. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
A low positive result suggests past exposure or infection, while a high positive result may indicate recent or current infection, but is inconclusive for diagnosis. Seroconversion between acute and convalescent sera is considered strong evidence of recent infection. the best evidence for infection is a significant change on two appropriately timed specimens where both tests are done in the same laboratory at the same time, The presence of IgM antibodies suggests recent infection. Low levels of IgM antibodies may occasionally persist for more than 12 months post-infection.