Cryptococcus Antigen | Back to Test Directory | ||||
Test Description |
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Quantitative detection of antigens of Cryptococcus neoformans in patient serum or Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) | |||||
Performed | Avg. Turnaround Time | Method | |||
Coralville, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F |
1 - 3 business days | Latex Agglutination | |||
Fee | CPT Code(s) | ||||
$22.79 | 87327 | ||||
Specimen Requirements | |||||
Specimen Type: | Minimum 1 mL Serum or 0.5 mL Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) | ||||
Collection Instructions: |
Red Top Tube: centrifuge and transfer serum to a secondary tube |
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Temperature and Stability: | Refrigerated (2-8°C); stable for 2 weeks. | ||||
Unacceptable Conditions: | Plasma. Contaminated, hemolyzed, or severely lipemic specimens. | ||||
Expected Results: | Negative, Titer of Cryptococcus Antigen present, Invalid | ||||
Shipping Instructions | |||||
Wrap specimen container in absorbent material and place inside a biohazard bag. Transport specimen with cold pack. Ship to the Coralville location. | |||||
Comments | |||||
The presence of cryptococcal antigen in any body fluid (serum or cerebrospinal fluid) is indicative of cryptococcosis. Specimens that are positive are automatically repeated with the same method utilizing dilutions in order to generate a titer value. Higher Cryptococcus antigen titers appear to correlate with more severe infections. Declining titers may indicate regression of infection. | |||||
Alternate Names | |||||
Cryptococal antigen, Cryptococcus screen |