![]() ![]() ![]() Thus, when the patient’s serum is exposed to the gel, the anti- Borrelia antibodies within it will bind to the antigens. It is these antigens that, during an infection, trigger the production of antibodies in the patient. “The Western blot defines whether the test result is truly positive.” As recommended by CDC, any sample testing positive on the screening test is automatically tested using the Western blot test.The Western blot test begins by separating multiple bacterial antigens using gel electrophoresis. A positive result, however, is not definitely evidence of Lyme disease, for several reasons, and so must be followed up by the second test, a Western blot or immunoblot. That enzyme catalyzes a reaction that causes a color change the intensity of the color is proportional to the amount of patient antibody captured on the test plate.“A negative result on the ELISA is confirmation that the patient does not have Lyme disease,” says Robert Jones, MD, Medical Director for Infectious Diseases at Quest Diagnostics. Antibodies that bind to the antigen are in turn bound by a second antibody that is linked to an enzyme. In this test, bacterial antigens coating the test plate are used as “bait” for the patient’s antibodies. Both steps use the same blood sample, so your patient doesn’t need to be drawn twice.The first step is a screening test, using an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) to look for the presence of anti- Borrelia antibodies. Both steps test for the presence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. This is the process recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to test for Lyme, and is the standard for the accurate diagnosis of the disease. Positive Western blotThe Quest Lyme disease test is a two-step process. We’ll also discuss when not to test, and look at one other test that can provide still more information about your patient’s Lyme disease. Please call 63 if you have any questions or need further assistance.When you send a sample in to Quest Diagnostics to test for Lyme disease, what happens? What are we looking for, and how do we know we’ve found it? In this article, we explain the test-actually two tests-and discuss what your results mean. However, tick identification can be performed with a prescription from a physician and a fee will be charged. The Lyme Disease Laboratory at Stony Brook Medicine is no longer providing the free tick identification service. Letter of Notice: Discontinuation - April, 4th, 2023 Customers Only: We provide specimen shipping containers free of charge which includes pre-paid shipping - call (631) 444-3824. Western Blot or Immunoblot Test (CDC recommends that any positive or borderline ELISA be confirmed by a Western blot test) This test should only be used in suspected Lyme disease patients.) The laboratory performs approximately 36,000 Lyme disease tests on patient specimens per year.ĮLISA Test (Tests for polyvalent specific antibodies, IgG, IgA, IgM). The laboratory is fully licensed and accredited by the NY Department of Health, JCAHO, and CAP. This laboratory has been performing Lyme disease testing on clinical specimens since 1984. This laboratory is a division of the Clinical Immunology Laboratory in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. ![]()
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