EBV-VCA, IgG; EBV-VCA, IgM; Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen antibodies (EBNA); interpretation
1 - 2 days
Turnaround time is defined as the usual number of days from the date of pickup of a specimen for testing to when the result is released to the ordering provider. In some cases, additional time should be allowed for additional confirmatory or additional reflex tests. Testing schedules may vary.
Serum
2 mL
0.5 mL (Note: This volume does not allow for repeat testing.)
Red-top tube or gel-barrier tube
Room temperature
Temperature | Period |
---|---|
Room temperature | 14 days |
Refrigerated | 14 days |
Frozen | 14 days |
Freeze/thaw cycles | Stable x4 |
Hemolysis; lipemia; grossly icteric; visible particulate matter; gross bacterial contamination
Aid in determining past or present infection with EBV as well as susceptibility to future infection.
The results from this panel are not by themselves diagnostic and should be considered in association with other clinical data and patient symptoms. This test is intended for qualitative determination only. The numeric value of the final result above the cutoff is not indicative of the amount of antibodies present.
Chemiluminescent Immunoassay (CLIA)
Epstein-Barr (EB) virus is a herpes group virus that is ubiquitous. It is the cause of classic infectious mononucleosis and is causally implicated in the pathogenesis of Burkitt lymphoma, some nasopharyngeal carcinomas, and rare hereditary lymphoproliferative disorders. The serologic response to EB virus includes antibody to early antigen, IgM and IgG antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA), and antibodies to Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA).
Although most cases of infectious mononucleosis can be diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings, blood count and morphology, and a positive test for heterophile antibody, as many as 20% may be heterophile-negative, at least at presentation (Heterophile may become positive when repeated in a few days). In some of these cases, a test for Epstein-Barr virus antibodies may be useful.
The most controversial use of EBV serology is in chronic fatigue syndrome, a complaint predominantly (but not exclusively) of young to middle-aged women, characterized by long persistent debilitating fatigue and a panoply of usually mild somatic complaints. The high levels of EBV antibodies in the general population, their long persistence, and the poor correlation of antibody titers with symptoms combine to make EBV serology useless in diagnosing, following, or ruling out chronic fatigue syndrome. See table.
Interpretation | VCA-IgM | VCA-IgG | EBNA-IgG |
---|---|---|---|
Key — Antibody present: (+); Antibody absent: (−) | |||
No previous infection/Susceptibility | − | − | − |
Primary infection (new or recent) | + | + | − |
Past infection | ± | + | + |
See comment below* | + | − | − |
*Results indicate infection with EBV at some time however cannot predict the timing of the infection since antibodies to EBNA usually develop after primary infection or, alternatively, approximately 5-10% of patients with EBV never develop antibodies to EBNA.
Order Code | Order Code Name | Order Loinc | Result Code | Result Code Name | UofM | Result LOINC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
240610 | EBV Antibody Profile | 096739 | EBV Ab VCA, IgM | U/mL | 5159-9 | |
240610 | EBV Antibody Profile | 096235 | EBV Ab VCA, IgG | U/mL | 5157-3 | |
240610 | EBV Antibody Profile | 010276 | EBV Nuclear Antigen Ab, IgG | U/mL | 30083-0 | |
240610 | EBV Antibody Profile | 169993 | Interpretation: | 8251-1 |
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