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Cytomegalovirus IgG

CMV IgG

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB6893, Beaker: CMVIG

Department

Special Chemistry

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: One Gold-top SST tube.

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: Centrifuged collection tube, refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F). (Minimum Serum: 0.5 mL)

Rejection Criteria

• Plasma specimens.
• Severely lipemic, icteric, or hemolyzed specimens.

In-Lab Processing

Let specimen clot 30-60 minutes then immediately centrifuge to separate serum from cells. Room temperature is acceptable for a maximum of two hours. (Minimum Serum: 0.5 mL)

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Centrifuged SST Tubes and Microtainers^® with Separator Gel
Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 8 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): Unacceptable

Red-top Tubes and Microtainers^® without Separator Gel
Room Temperature (20-25°C or 68-77°F): 8 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): Unacceptable

Serum Specimens (Pour-Overs)
Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 8 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): 1 year

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days

Laboratory

Royal Oak Special Testing Laboratory

Performed

Tuesday – Saturday.
Results available in 2 business days.

Reference Range

Negative:  ≤ 0.8 U
Equivocal:  0.9-1.0 U
Positive:  ≥ 1.1 U

Test Methodology

Multiplex Flow Assay.

Interpretation

• A Positive result indicates CMV IgG antibodies were detected.
• A Negative result indicates CMV IgG antibodies were not detected.
• An Equivocal result should be retested.
• The presence of IgG antibodies to CMV is an indication of previous exposure to the virus. A single specimen can only be used to determine the serological status of the individual.

Clinical Utility

Detection of CMV IgG in human serum can be used to document previous exposure to CMV and to support the diagnosis of a current CMV infection.

Clinical Disease

Most adults and children who are infected with CMV are asymptomatic. Symptomatic patients may experience fever, sore throat, fatigue, and lymphadenopathy. CMV can persist in the body in a latent form and reactivate at a later date. In utero infection can cause mental retardation, microencephaly, hearing loss, and developmental delays. Immunocompromised individuals can develop serious CMV infections. Several serious, often life-threatening syndromes have been associated with CMV infection including: heterophile-negative mononucleosis-like syndrome in young adults, cytomegalic inclusion disease in congenitally infected infants, interstitial pneumonia, retinitis, and febrile illness among organ transplant and other immunocompromised patients, and a post-transfusion syndrome characterized by pneumonitits, hepatitis, and atypical lymphocytosis, especially in premature infants (1).

Epidemiology

Cytomegalovirus infections are common throughout the world. By puberty, 40-80% of children are infected and by age 35, almost 100% of the population is infected (1).

Incubation Period

3-8 weeks following transfusion and 3-12 weeks following perinatal infection (1).

Transmission

CMV is transmitted by contact with body fluids, through blood transfusion, or organ transplantation. The most common routes of infection are from close contact with infected oropharyngeal secretions, vaginal or cervical secretions, semen, urine, breast milk or blood. Congenitally or perinatally infected children can shed large amounts of virus in saliva for 2-4 years and for 5 or more years in urine (1).

Reference

1. Wiedbrauk D, Johnston SLG. Manual of Clinical Virology, Raven Press, New York, NY, 1993.

CPT Codes

86644.
LOINC: 13949-3

Contacts

Last Updated

2/10/2024