posted
I tested POSITIVE to Babesia by FISH examination but tested negative through a PCR test? The FISH test does not specify B. MICROTI OR B. DUNCANI.
The PCR test tested for both B. MICROTI OR B. DUNCANI. Both NEGATIVE.
B. MICROTI antibody G/M test revealed:
B. Mircoti, IgM 1:40 TITER B. Microti, IgG <1:40 TITER
What do these TITER numbers represent? It reads on the results that IgG <1:40-1:160 May suggest evidence of infection. If sample within 6 months had titer of 1:640 or >, patient may be recovering.
>1:160 to 1:640 Suggests an active infection od unknown duration. >1:640 May suggest an active infection.
So what does all this mean? Is there any way to determine length or severity of infection from these titers?
Bartonella tested NEGATIVE. Is there is Bartonella FISH test?
Can someone ellaborate why one Babesia test would be positive and the other negative?
Im assuming the FISH test is the more sensitive test but why would I not test positive via PCR. Isn't that pretty sensitive as well?
Posts: 59 | From CONNECTICUT | Registered: Sep 2008
| IP: Logged |
disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
FISH tests your blood for antibodies that your body made against the Babs. PCR actually looks for the DNA of the bug and has nothing to do with looking for antibodies. So it makes sense to me that you got a positive FISH but not on a positive PCR (you can't always get a positive on everything -- and you're lucky you got a positive on either of the tests!).... but a positive is a positive no matter if by FISH or PCR.
So basically the blood sample taken for the FISH had antibodies in it, and the blood sample taken for the PCR didn't have any of the DNA of the Babs in it at the time or in that particular sample. No big deal.
I'm glad you got a positive though - it's nice to have a positive to see for yourself what's going on and have that as proof.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
| IP: Logged |
The titer value refers to how diluted your blood plasma was before the test result changed from positive to negative. It works kind of like this - they take 1 part plasma and 10 parts dilutant and mix, and test. Most tests that use a titer will use some type of substance that will glow under a certain type of light, so if the new 1:10 mix glows positive, you are positive at 1:10. Add a volume of dilutant to the mix and now you have a 1:20 mix, double the volume of the mix again and you have 1:40, etc.
Titers are usually 1:10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, etc. The higher the titer number, the more diluted your sample needed to be before it became negative.
Posts: 263 | From Capital Region, NY, USA | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic