What is positive Lyme disease serology?

burgdorferi infection develops slowly, and only one half of patients with early-stage Lyme disease will have a positive serology. The immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies appear two to four and four to six weeks, respectively, after the onset of erythema migrans and peak at six to eight weeks.

What is the normal range for Lyme?

Reference Range Borrelia burgdorferi antibody enzyme immunoassay (Lyme index value) : < 0.9 = negative. 0.91-1.09 = equivocal. >1.1 = positive.

What does negative Lyme IgG mean?

A negative result means that no antibodies were found. But Lyme disease is hard to diagnose. This is partly because the antibodies may not show up in your blood for several weeks. If your results are negative shortly after you’ve been infected, the result could be a false-negative.

When does Lyme serology become positive?

The CDC cautions that because the test is not likely to be positive until 4 to 6 weeks after infection, doctors who suspect Lyme based on symptoms should prescribe antibiotics even if the test is negative. In practice, however, this doesn’t always happen.

What does a positive Lyme IgG IgM mean?

Most of the time, the IgG western blot must be positive in order to indicate a potential infection with Lyme disease. The IgM antibodies are the first antibodies to be produced in the body in response to an infection.

How accurate is Lyme antibody test?

In the first three weeks after infection, the test only detects Lyme 29 to 40 percent of the time. (The test is 87 percent accurate once Lyme spreads to the neurological system, and 97 percent accurate for patients who develop Lyme arthritis).

How long do Lyme antibodies last?

IgM or IgG antibody responses to B. burgdorferi may persist for 10–20 years, but these responses are not indicative of active infection. Topic: lyme disease.

What does a positive IgM Lyme test mean?

IgM antibodies are larger than IgG antibodies and when present in high numbers, may indicate a recent or new active infection. In short, a positive IgM may be a sign of a current, or very recent, infection.