Epstein Barr virus antibody panel

Your doctor may order this test if you have the following symptoms:

• Headache
• Fatigue 
• Sore throat
• Pharyngitis 
• Extreme weakness
• Fever 
• Presence of lymphocytosis (increased levels of lymphocytes in the blood)
• Lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes usually of the neck and armpit)
• Splenomegaly (enlarged spleen)

The health care provider orders this test when he/she suspects the presence of the EBV antibodies in persons who show flu-like symptoms and to check if there was previous exposure to the virus. Young adults and teenagers are at a higher risk of being infected with this virus.

No special preparation is required before this test. The doctor should be informed if you are taking any medicines as certain medicines might interfere with the test results and need to be stopped. However, do not discontinue any medication unless advised by the healthcare provider.

A rapid test called the Monospot test is commonly done for heterophile antibody agglutination. Although this test gives rapid results, it is not useful for evaluating chronic disease. Therefore, in patients who have symptoms of IM but a negative Monospot test, specific EBV antibody test is done. This test is performed by drawing blood from a vein in the arm as follows:

• The laboratory technician will tie a tourniquet around your upper arm and ask you to tighten your fist to make the veins more prominent for ease of needle insertion.
• The site for needle insertion will be cleaned with an antiseptic wipe.
• The technician will then collect a blood sample by inserting a sterile needle into a vein.
• Once the sample is collected, the laboratory technician will release the tourniquet and remove the needle.

You may feel a slight pricking sensation when the needle is inserted, which subsides soon. You may notice mild bruising at the injection site, which will fade in a few days. If you have felt dizzy or faint during a blood test in the past, inform your doctor or nurse so that they can help you feel more comfortable.

Normal results:

Negative — No EBV antibodies are present in the given blood sample.

Abnormal results for antibody testing:

• Positive VCA IgM antibodies suggest an early infection. If the person also has symptoms suggestive of IM, then the person may have mononucleosis.
• Positive VCA IgG and early D antigen (EA-D) IgG antibodies indicate a current or recent infection.
• A positive EBNA IgG and VCA IgG but negative VCA IgM indicate a past infection.
• Rising VCA IgG levels indicate active infection, while falling levels indicate resolving infection.

Positive results may be due to the following conditions:

• Epstein-Barr virus infection
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Malaria
• Pancreatic cancer
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Rubella (German measles)
• Viral hepatitis
• Sarcoidosis (growth of inflammatory cells in different body parts)
• Nasopharyngeal cancer
• Lymphocytic leukaemia (blood/bone marrow cancer)
• Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of a part of the immune system)
• Cytomegalovirus

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.