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HelpTEST ID SFGP Spotted Fever Group Antibody, IgG and IgM, Serum
Reporting Name
Spotted Fever Group Ab, IgG, IgM, SSpecimen Type
SerumSpecimen Required
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Collection Container/Tube:
Preferred: Serum gel
Acceptable: Red top
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL Serum
Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot serum into a plastic vial.
Specimen Minimum Volume
Serum: 0.2 mL
Specimen Stability Information
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Serum | Refrigerated (preferred) | 14 days |
| Frozen | 14 days |
Special Instructions
Testing Algorithm
For more information see Acute Tick-Borne Disease Testing Algorithm.
Method Name
Immunofluorescence
Reject Due To
| Gross hemolysis | Reject |
| Gross lipemia | Reject |
Reference Values
IgG: <1:64
IgM: <1:64
Reference values apply to all ages.
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Friday
Report Available
Same day/1 to 3 daysSpecimen Retention Time
14 daysPerforming Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester
CPT Code Information
86757 x 2
Forms
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send Infectious Disease Serology Test Request (T916) with the specimen.
Useful For
Aiding in the diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsial infections
Clinical Information
Species of Rickettsia are small (0.3-0.5 mcm x 1-2 mcm) obligately intracellular bacteria (Proteobacteria). They have a gram-negative cell wall structure. Rickettsiae are found in arthropod hosts for at least part of their life cycle.
Rickettsial infections in the United States are caused by 2 major groups within the genus Rickettsia: spotted fever group and typhus fever group. The spotted fever group includes Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever), Rickettsia akari, Rickettsia conorii (Boutonneuse fever), Rickettsia australis (Queensland tick typhus), and Rickettsia sibirica (North Asian tick typhus). The typhus fever group includes Rickettsia typhi (murine typhus; endemic typhus) and Rickettsia prowazekii (epidemic typhus).
R rickettsiae is the most common rickettsial species encountered in the United States and is transmitted through a tick vector (Dermacentor species or, less commonly, Rhipicephalus sanguineus). Following a 2- to 14-day incubation period, patients most commonly present with fever, chills, and myalgia. A maculopapular rash typically appears 2 to 5 days after fever onset, though approximately 10% of patients will not develop a rash. Antibodies to the spotted fever group agents are detectable within 7 to 10 days after illness onset. Demonstration of either seroconversion or a 4-fold change in IgG-specific antibody titers in acute and convalescent serum samples is consistent with acute or ongoing disease.
Cautions
Cross-reactivity within the spotted fever group precludes the speciation of the infecting rickettsia by this procedure. Sera reactive with Rickettsia rickettsii must be termed "spotted fever group-positive." Spotted fever and typhus fever intragroup cross-reactivity is weak: cross-reactive titers are typically at least 16-fold lower than group-specific titers.
Antibody is variably absent for 1 to 2 weeks after onset of symptoms and an initial negative titer should not be used to exclude the diagnosis of rickettsial disease. A second serum specimen should be collected 1 to 2 weeks later to establish the diagnosis in such patients.
IgM titers must be interpreted with caution, especially in the absence of IgG. Cases should be further evaluated clinically or serologically by testing acute and convalescent serum in parallel to demonstrate a 4-fold or greater change in IgG or IgM titer.
Diagnosis of recent infection based on a single elevated IgG titer is complicated by the slow decline of antibody titer from past infection in many individuals. Titers may remain elevated for longer than 12 months, especially where antibiotic treatment was delayed or prior immunization was involved.
Some patients may maintain a long-term IgM titer, with or without IgG. It is important to check the IgM titer 1 to 2 weeks following testing of an acute specimen.
Method Description
Substrate slides containing antigen wells for measuring antibodies to both groups of Rickettsia (spotted fever and typhus) are obtained. The indirect immunofluorescence assay is a 2-stage "sandwich" procedure. In the first stage, the patient serum is diluted in yolk sac diluent. The diluted serum is placed on the slide in contact with the substrate and incubated. Following incubation, the slide is washed in buffered saline, which removes unbound serum antibodies. In the second stage, each antigen well is overlaid with fluorescein-labeled antibody to human IgG or IgM. The slide is incubated allowing antigen-antibody complexes to react with the fluorescein-labeled antihuman IgG or IgM. After the slide is washed, dried, and mounted, it is examined using fluorescence microscopy. Positive reactions appear as rickettsial bodies exhibiting bright apple-green cytoplasmic fluorescence against a background of orange to red yolk sac matrix. Semiquantitative end point titers are obtained by testing serial dilutions of positive specimens.(Package inserts: Rickettsia IFA IgM. DiaSorin Molecular LLC; 12/2022; Rickettsia IFA IgG. DiaSorin Molecular LLC; 12/2022)