Specimen Collection Manual and Test Catalog
OLIGOCLONAL BANDS (IGG), SERUM
Geisinger Epic Procedure Code: LAB3732 Geisinger Epic ID: 140823Serum AND cerebrospinal fluid
1 mL aliquot of serum AND 1 mL CSF. Minimum 0.5 mL serum AND CSF.
Collect BOTH serum AND CSF. It is preferred that the collection date and time be the same for both the CSF and Serum. Serum can be drawn within 48 hours of the CSF, but this is not recommended.
CSF: Do not centrifuge. Refrigerate CSF specimens. Transport on refrigerant coolant. Serum: Centrifuge within 1 hour of collection and transfer serum specimens to sterile, plastic, screw-capped vial(s). Refrigerate and transport on refrigerant coolant.
Refrigerated.
Room Temperature: 8 hours. Refrigerated: 5 days. Frozen: 2 weeks.
Xanthochromia/RBCs/Hemolysis in CSF. Stability limits exceeded.
No bands.
The clinical significance of a numerical band count, determined by isoelectric focusing, has not been definitively defined. The data should be interpreted in conjunction with all pertinent clinical and laboratory data for this patient.
The CPT codes provided by GML are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only.
Presence of oligoclonal bands.
Oligoclonal Proteins, Quest test code 674, OLBCSF
Oligoclonal bands are present in the CSF of more than 85% of patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). To distinguish between oligoclonal bands in the CSF due to a peripheral gammopathy and oligoclonal bands due to local production in the CNS, serum and CSF should be tested simultaneously. Oligoclonal bands can however, be observed in a variety of other diseases, e.g., subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, inflammatory polyneuropathy, CNS lupus, and brain tumors and infarctions.