Whipple's Disease Associated Bacteria DNA
| Label Mnemonic: | WDBPCR |
| Epic code: | LAB4285 |
| Downtime form: | A-1a Doctor/Provider Orders - Pathology Core and Specialty Care Nursery |
Commercial Mailout Laboratory
6240-8 RCP
356-8593
6240-8 RCP
356-8593
Specimen(s):
Spinal Fluid, Synovial Fluid, Vitreous Humor Fluid, Gastrointestinal Biopsy Specimen
Collection Medium:
| Sterile container |
Minimum:
Submit only 1 of the following specimens:
Spinal Fluid, Synovial Fluid, or Vitreous Humor Fluid
0.5 mL of spinal fluid, synovial fluid, or vitreous humor fluid. (Green-top [heparin] tube is not acceptable.) Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile vial. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by Tropheryma whipplei DNA is not likely.
Biopsy
Send fresh gastrointestinal biopsy specimen (5 mm) frozen in a screw-capped, sterile, plastic container. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Frozen specimen preferred, but refrigerated specimen is acceptable if received within 24 hours of collection. Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by Tropheryma whipplei DNA is not likely.
Note: A tissue or biopsy specimen of brain, gastrointestinal tissue, heart valve, lymph node, small intestine, synovial tissue, or other visceral tissue fixed in a paraffin block is also acceptable.
Spinal Fluid, Synovial Fluid, or Vitreous Humor Fluid
0.5 mL of spinal fluid, synovial fluid, or vitreous humor fluid. (Green-top [heparin] tube is not acceptable.) Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile vial. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by Tropheryma whipplei DNA is not likely.
Biopsy
Send fresh gastrointestinal biopsy specimen (5 mm) frozen in a screw-capped, sterile, plastic container. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Frozen specimen preferred, but refrigerated specimen is acceptable if received within 24 hours of collection. Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by Tropheryma whipplei DNA is not likely.
Note: A tissue or biopsy specimen of brain, gastrointestinal tissue, heart valve, lymph node, small intestine, synovial tissue, or other visceral tissue fixed in a paraffin block is also acceptable.
Delivery Instructions:
Submit specimen to laboratory as soon as possible after
collection period is completed.Turn Around
Time:
Test performed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at reference
laboratory.
Interpretive Data:
A positive result strongly suggests a diagnosis of Whipple
disease.
A negative result does not negate the presence of the organism or active disease, as false negative results may occur due to inhibition of PCR, sequence variability underlying the primers and/or probes or the presence of Tropheryma whipplei in quantities less than the limit of detection of the assay.
A negative result does not negate the presence of the organism or active disease, as false negative results may occur due to inhibition of PCR, sequence variability underlying the primers and/or probes or the presence of Tropheryma whipplei in quantities less than the limit of detection of the assay.
Comments:
Useful as an aid in diagnosis of Whipple disease, especially for
identifying inconclusive or suspicious cases.
Methodology:
Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
CPT Code:
87798