Storage/Transport Temperature: 1 mL serum at 2-8°C. (Min: 0.15 mL) Submit specimen in an ARUP Standard Transport Tube.
Remarks: Separate serum from cells ASAP. Acute and convalescent specimens must be labeled as such; parallel testing is preferred and convalescent specimens must be received within 30 days from receipt of the acute specimens. Please mark specimens plainly as "acute" or "convalescent."
Unacceptable Conditions: Severely lipemic or contaminated specimens.
Stability (collection to initiation of testing): After separation from cells: Ambient: 2 days; Refrigerated: 2 weeks; Frozen: 1 year (avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles)
Reference Interval:
< 1:8
Interpretive Data:
Less than 40% of patients have positive tests when active disease is present. Frequent cross-reactions occur in patients with histoplasmosis or coccidioidomycosis. Paired sera may detect rise in titer to single antigen.
Note:
Negative fungal serology does not rule out the possibility of current infection.