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What Causes False Positive Results Of Serological Tests For Lyme Disease?
Posted on
Mon, 16 Nov 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 16 Nov 2015
Answered on
Mon, 14 Dec 2015
Last reviewed on
Question : I have had very severe symptoms for 4 months and fairly convinced I have Lyme disease: seizures 2-3 days, migraine everyday, fogginess, neck and back pain, hip/joint pain, among others, etc. Not being familiar with the disease, I have finally been tested on the Western blot. I am only reactive for Borella 41 KD lgG and 23 KD lgG bands. The Doctor dismissed Lyme because I didn't test reactive for at least 5 bands and referred me back to a Neurologist. I have had a history of seizures but they were very far and few between. My husband and I remember when I was bit two years ago but again, we didn't know anything about Lyme and didn't pursue treatment at that time. We think the disease was dormant and has become active. Advice?
Brief Answer:
?False positive serological test for Lyme disease
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
According to current criteria adopted by the CDC, an IgG blot is considered positive if 5 of the following 10 bands are present: 18, 23, 28, 30, 39, 41, 45,
58, 66, and 93 kDa. Since you are positive only for two bands ,hence it represents a false-positive result and the diagnosis of Lyme disease may be incorrect in view of other illnesses causing false positive results.
Unless the clinical picture is appropriate,treatment for Lyme disease is not justified.
However ,you can go for second-generation serologic test - the VlsE
C6 peptide IgG ELISA, which employs a 26-mer of the sixth invariant
region of the VlsE lipoprotein of B. burgdorferi.The results achieved
with this test are similar to those obtained with the standard two-test
approach (sonicate IgM and IgG ELISA and western blot).
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
?False positive serological test for Lyme disease
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for your query. I can understand your concerns.
According to current criteria adopted by the CDC, an IgG blot is considered positive if 5 of the following 10 bands are present: 18, 23, 28, 30, 39, 41, 45,
58, 66, and 93 kDa. Since you are positive only for two bands ,hence it represents a false-positive result and the diagnosis of Lyme disease may be incorrect in view of other illnesses causing false positive results.
Unless the clinical picture is appropriate,treatment for Lyme disease is not justified.
However ,you can go for second-generation serologic test - the VlsE
C6 peptide IgG ELISA, which employs a 26-mer of the sixth invariant
region of the VlsE lipoprotein of B. burgdorferi.The results achieved
with this test are similar to those obtained with the standard two-test
approach (sonicate IgM and IgG ELISA and western blot).
Regards
Dr. T.K. Biswas M.D. XXXXXXX
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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