Transport: 0.5 mL serum at 2-8°C. (Min: 0.25 mL) Submit specimen in an ARUP Standard Transport Tube.
Pediatric Collection/Transport: 0.1 mL serum at 2-8°C.
Remarks: Separate serum from cells ASAP.
Unacceptable Conditions: Body fluids.
Stability: After separation from cells: Ambient: 2 days; Refrigerated: 2 weeks; Frozen: 1 year (avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles)
Reference Interval:
None detected.
Interpretive Data:
The immunodiffusion test can detect precipitins to specific Histoplasma protein antigens (M and H). The M band often appears first and may occur without the H band. M precipitin is found in about 70 percent of both acute and chronic histoplasmosis cases. Both M and H occur together in only about 10 percent of patients.
Note:
Negative fungal serology does not rule out the possibility of current infection.