Test Support

Mild (1+) to moderate proteinuria (2+) is not a problem, but large amounts of protein (3+) interfere with the Nanotrap assay. 

Generally: Recommend that females do not submit samples while heavy menstruation, as large amounts of blood inhibit the test. 

No, but collecting on younger children can be a bit difficult. Collecting multiple samples within a 24-hour period is okay. IFA will be hard on kids under 2, due to how antibodies are developed in children.

No, urine specimens for Lyme + Co-infections tests should not be frozen.

40 mL of urine is the required minimum volume for the test. 

See table below:

The Tickborne BBB Direct Detect dPCR may be performed on a single blood sample or on a series of three blood samples drawn every other day within a 5- to 8-day period. The 3-Day Draw is similar to the 1-Day Draw, except for the number of samples and the days they are drawn (i.e., Day 1, Day 3, Day 5).

Note: A 3-Day Draw cannot be performed if all three samples are collected on the same day. Samples must be drawn on different days.

Bartonella species invade the endothelial cells lining the vascular system, cycling in and out of the blood over 5 to 8 days. They evade the immune response in the bloodstream by hiding in erythrocytes and other cell types. Research suggests that a serial testing approach, which we call a 3-Day—or Triple Draw—may increase the odds of a positive dPCR result.

Don’t panic. Most of the materials inside the kit are still usable. The expiration date on the kit or at least one of the included tubes has expired. Please check the individual tubes before using them. If a tube is past it’s date, then they can be swapped out for standard SST tubes (yellow top, tiger top) and EDTA tubes (lavender top) as long as those tubes have not expired. Any expired tubes will be rejected per CLIA regulations. 

Getting tested with both direct and indirect detection methods provide a more comprehensive and accurate diagnosis, especially with infections and diseases that are difficult to detect. 

Direct Detection: 

Identifies the presence of the pathogen itself, such as with DNA, RNA, or proteins. Direct Detection can confirm that the pathogen (virus, bacteria, etc.) is currently present in your body. Best for acute infections, or cases where the pathogen is present in high enough quantities to be detected. 

Indirect Detection: 

Instead of identifying the presence of a pathogen, it looks for immune system responses that would happen when in the presence of the pathogen. Most commonly, indirect tests are used to measure the amount of antibodies in a sample. Antibodies are the proteins that the immune system typically produces to fight against antigens like bacteria or viruses. These tests can determine whether or not you have been exposed to a pathogen in the past, or even if your body is still fighting off an infection where it would be hard to detect the pathogen directly. Best for chronic or past infections in which pathogens are no longer detectable, but the immune response is. 

There isn’t a stool test that permits direct diagnosis of SIBO, and breath testing can be difficult to administer. Although not practical, gavage sampling from the upper bowel followed by culture or PCR has been used in the research setting.

PCR is sensitive. When repeating a test after intervention, it is recommended to wait approximately 3 weeks before repeat PCR testing is performed. As with any laboratory test, case history and patient presentation should always be taken into account when interpreting and applying test results.