13115 CMV Status Changed??!!

ArtistArtist Posts: 52
in Ask California Cryobank
Hello,

When I originally purchased 5 viles from this donor, he had a CMV status of negative. Now when I visit his profile it says the following"

CMV Total Antibody:
Positive (IgG/IgM

Could you please let me know if and how this has changed? What does this mean? I am very concerned. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Best,

Artist.

Comments

  • pmzillapmzilla Posts: 32
    I am in the same boat and also need this information!
  • cryo-admincryo-admin Posts: 4,538
    Hi All -

    Absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

    This donor tested CMV total antibody positive. Total antibody is the screening test mandated by the FDA. It is not a particularly accurate test as it returns about 30% false positive results.

    When a donor comes back total antibody positive, we do a set of more precise tests to determine whether he has actually been exposed to CMV. These are the igG and igM tests. In some cases, a total antibody positive donor will be negative for both igG and igM, meaning the total antibody test was wrong. Donor 13115 falls into this category.

    FDA guidelines require us to report the donor as CMV positive, even though we do not believe he has ever been exposed to the virus.

    Regardless of donor CMV status, we have never had a reported case of CMV transmission from donor to recipient.

    Best of luck,

    Scott
  • emg40emg40 Posts: 35
    I am sorry, but I do not understand. Your explanation seems to be one that explains how a donor who was reported as positive (false positives) could actually be CMV negative. Your explanation does not seem to address a donor who was originally negative and then somehow becomes positive.

    All of my reading suggest that this is a serious issue for those of us who are CMV-, and should not be exposed to CMV in the conception/pregnancy process.
  • cryo-admincryo-admin Posts: 4,538
    Hi EMG –

    We recently updated our website to display “CMV Total Antibody” instead of “CMV Status”. The donors that fall into the category of being false positive, originally displayed as “CMV Status: Negative” and are now displaying as “CMV Total Antibody: Positive (igG/igM Negative)”. This information has always been included on the Summary of Records that gets sent to your physician with your specimen shipment. We have not changed anything operationally, just our website to reflect the same information your physician receives regarding CMV Total Antibody.

    CMV can be a confusing topic and we encourage you to follow the advice of your physician. Please keep in mind that any donors that test IgM positive are NOT eligible to participate in our donor program. Donors labeled exactly as “Positive” tested igG positive, which indicates a historic exposure to the virus and not a current or recent infection. Similar to chicken pox, if you got the virus when you were six, as an adult you still carry the antibodies but you do not transmit the virus unless you had a recent infection.

    Regardless of CMV status, we have never had a reported case of CMV transmission from a donor to a recipient.

    Regards,

    Nicole
    CCB
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