What does positive Lyme IgG 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.

What does positive Lyme IgM mean?

First, the positive test may indicate that the person was infected previously by the agent of Lyme disease and the immune system mounted a successful attack which resulted in the long-term production of antibodies against the agent of Lyme disease.

What does a positive IgG band 41 mean?

Two types of antibodies are detected in the Western blot test. This particular marker is called 41 KD (IGG) Band and hence is a IgG antibody marker. IgG antibodies are a sign of an older infection. In contrast, IgM antibodies reflect a relatively recent infection.

What is a positive Lyme disease test?

A positive ELISA result is abnormal. This means antibodies were seen in your blood sample. But, this does not confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease. A positive ELISA result must be followed up with a Western blot test. Only a positive Western blot test can confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Can you test positive for Lyme disease and not have it?

Positive results don’t always mean a Lyme disease diagnosis. In some cases, you can have a positive result but not have an infection. Positive results may also mean you have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Can you test positive for Lyme and not have it?

How long does IgM stay positive for Lyme?

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

How many bands have to be positive for Lyme?

In addition to testing for antibodies, it reports reactivity against a panel of 10 different proteins found on the Lyme bacteria. According to the CDC, 5 of the bands must be positive for an overall positive, reportable Western blot test result.

Is band 39 Lyme specific?

The 39-kDa protein band recognized by polyvalent antibody was found to be the most significant marker for Lyme borreliosis. Furthermore, an anti-39-kDa immunoglobulin M response was detected in the samples from patients with early-stage Lyme borreliosis.