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-RiBb Test What is the Q-RiBb test for Lyme Disease? The Q-RiBb test is an antigen assay based on the proprietary technology of US Patent 6,838,247, noteworthy both for its sensitivity and quick testing time. In Q-RiBb, the patient’s whole blood, body tissue or other body fluid is reacted with fluorescein-tagged Bb antibody to bind any Bb antigen that may be in the sample. Upon completion of the serial dilution, each diluted sample is observed under a dark-field fluorescent microscope to identify live fluorescing cellular structures. The fluorescein-labeled antibody to Bb that is used in this test is highly specific for Borrelia burgdorferi. Cross-reactivity to other Borrelia species has been minimized through extensive affinity adsorption. The cellular structures most often detected by the Q-RiBb test are the cell wall deficient form of Bb. Validity of Q-RiBb Test The gold standard for laboratory diagnosis of infectious disease has usually involved culturing the causative organism from the infected host. Although the spirochete causing Lyme disease has proven difficult to culture, Mattman, Phillips, et al have developed a reliable, reproducible method for culturing B. burgdorferi from the blood of patients with Lyme disease. Mattman’s medium and methodology are specifically designed for the fostering of cell wall-deficient organisms and their reversion to classic parent forms. In a separate validity test, 316 whole blood specimens were tested and found to be positive using the Q-RiBb method. These same 316 specimens were cultured in Mattman’s MPM medium for four to seven days, and then confirmed with affinity-adsorbed polyclonal fluorescent antibody to B. burgdorferi. All 316 cultures detected B. burgdorferi, providing a 100% validation of the Q-RiBb test. Where is Q-RiBb Test Conducted? Currently, the Q-RiBb test is available only for research purposes, through protocol physicians working with the Bowen Research and Training laboratory in Florida. Since Q-RiBb was patented in 2005, Bowen has conducted an extended trial on over 9,000 blood samples. The data from this trial is the basis for many of the articles appearing on this website. It is anticipated that the success of the Q-RiBb trial will ultimately result in the licensing of laboratories to make the Q-RiBb test available to the general public." Posted on 09/17/07, 07:09 pm |
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