LymeNet Flash: MDL and Babs testing

This is topic MDL and Babs testing in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :

Looks like they're developing their own IFA for Babs.
I heard they suspended they're Babs testing, but don't know why.

ANyone know?
Barb

Curr Microbiol. 2004 Dec;49(6):385-9.

Serological diagnosis of human babesiosis by IgG enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay.

Loa CC, Adelson ME, Mordechai E, Raphaelli I, Tilton RC.

Department of Research and Development, Medical Diagnostic
Laboratories, L.L.C., Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, USA.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgG
antibodies to Babesia microti antigen was developed. B. microti
antigens were harvested from experimentally infected hamster blood
and used as a coating antigen. The sensitivity and specificity of the
IgG ELISA relative to immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA) testing
was 95.5% and 94.1%, respectively. According to the receiver
operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve was
0.987. No cross-reactivity of serum samples collected from patients
infected with Toxoplasma gondii, Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma
phagocytophilum, Bartonella quintana, Dengue virus, or West Nile
virus was detected. Cross-reactivity was observed with one of 35 sera
from patients infected with Bartonella henselae. These results
indicate that the established ELISA methods could be utilized as an
accurate measure for the clinical diagnosis of human babesiosis.

Publication Types:
Evaluation Studies

Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :

They suspended their babs testing? I just sent a sample last week.

Posted by MammaLyme (Member # 1257) on :

MDL found nothing on me when I had not only lyme but Babs, HME and HGE. Never used them since.

Posted by sarabear (Member # 6530) on :

I just got my babs results back from MDL about a month ago. I was very convinced I was positive, and I sure was! No problems with my experience...

sara

Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :

Thanks for the info!.

Was your test an IFA titer or western blot?

Thanks again,
Barb

Posted by Caryn (Member # 366) on :

there is no question i had babs since '91. it was on nantucket island and i had classic symtoms. aound 2000, someone finnally tested me for babs by PCR at MDL. neg, so at first i thought that OK, i don't have it.

but then learned more about what it is and was sure i had it. and found photos from nantucket at that time. still the "lyme drs" i saw back then would not treat me for babeisa. even after i found the photo from nantucket showing the rash on my leg, neuro would not prescribe mepron.

everytime i brought up treating it , he would say it is so hard to tell lyme from babs. symptoms of both overlap. but it was so obvious.

then 2003, an i.d. specialist, of all people, did the western blot for babs and robustly pos on both Igm and Igg. i had just started seeing my present lyme dr at that time. a very caring and knowlegable dr. she prescribed mepron and zith for me even thought the i.d. dr had recently treated me for it. (he took me off abx, which i got so very little of since being dx in '99, and gave me one month of just malerone.

when i finnally got the mepron and zith, it was the first time i felt any real improvement and restored my hope in getting better. i can't believe how much pain, how rediculously sick i was for so many yrs. and with a sick husband and young children sick since babies and they were all undx until a 2-4 yrs ago. how much misery and damage for no reason. and the caliber of people i was surrounded by....

if anyone knows what the bands on a babeisa western blot mean, please let me know.

Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :

Caryn,

I can't answer your question, but a negative PCR means absolutely nothing. PCR tests are like a needle in a haystack. The babesia (or whatever your testing for) needs to actually be in the sample.

Posted by bg (Member # 46416) on :

I will be having my co=infection tests done soon, so glad to see this posted, and what your various results were.

My BC/BS does NOT have either IGX or MDL on their approved list of labs .. so I was checking this out to make sure which is MORE ACCURATE than the other.

Thanks folks for your comments to help me decide.

Betty G., Iowa

Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :

Caryn:

Which lab did your weastern Blot
And what bands were positive?

Sarabear:
I just checked MDLs website, and I do not see the Babesia IgG/IgM western blot still listed as a service. SO you must have had IFA?

Barb

Posted by Caryn (Member # 366) on :

Hi Aniek,

i knew that already about lyme, but i had no problem getting pos lyme pcr's. was teased by a chronic lyme friend that i should sell my body fluids to other lyme patients who were having trouble getting pos pcr's. i have the rare pos pcr of my spinal fluid (bbi labs) and pos pcr from Quest labs while on abx.

so i assumed if i had babeisa, i would hve no problem getting a pos pcr for that . so when neg. i just sort of accepted i did not have it. they think i had erlichia too. i had doxycyline before ever being tested for it.

Hi bettyg,

it really disturbs me that bc/bs in Iowa will not pay for MDL. i live in PA and am upset they will not pay for IGeneX. i am covered for MDL.

Hi bpeck,

i need to dig up my records to see which bands. both the pcr and babesia western blot were done by MDL. i think the babs westeren blot was new there when i had it done. mepron at last!!!

[This message has been edited by Caryn (edited 24 March 2005).]