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Test Code EBVQ Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Quantitative PCR, Blood

Important Note

cobas® EBV is intended for use as an aid in the management of EBV in solid organ transplant patients and in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. In patients receiving anti-EBV therapy, serial DNA measurements can be used to assess viral response to treatment.

Infectious

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Preferred Specimen: Lavender EDTA tube

Volume

Preferred Volume: 5 - 10 mL

Minimum Volume: 3 mL

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

(20 - 25°C)

24 hours

Refrigerated

(2 - 10°C)

 24 hours

Frozen

(-20°C)

not acceptable

Collection Instructions

Specimen Collection: Venipucture


Specimen Transport: Immediate

Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions

UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

 

UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. If transport is delayed, refrigerate specimens prior to transport.

Rejection Criteria

  • Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, incorrect collection container, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits. 
  • Only one test request per day is accepted.
  • Whole blood/unspun samples greater than 24 hours will be rejected.
  • Whole blood not collected in Lavender top vacuatainer tube will be rejected.

Reference Values

 

Analyte

Age

Sex

Reference Range

Negative

All

All

No EBV DNA detected

Detection limit

All

All

 18.8 IU/mL

Quantitation Reportable Range

All

All

 35 - 50,000,000 IU/mL

Quantitation Reportable Range Log

All

All

 1.54 - 7.70 log IU/mL
 

Turnaround Time

Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory. 

STAT Turnaround Time: not available

Routine Turnaround Time: 72 hours

Testing Schedule: Monday - Sunday

Clinical Indications

  • cobas® EBV is not intended for use as a screening test for the presence of EBV in blood or blood products or human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps).

  • Quantitation of EBV DNA may be affected by sample collection methods, patient factors (i.e., age, presence of symptoms), and/or stage of infection

  • cobas® EBV test results should be interpreted in the context of other clinical data and should not be the sole basis for treatment decisions.

Methodology

Roche cobas® 6800 automated PCR

CPT Codes

87799

LOINC Codes

30487799

Synonyms/Keyword Search

EB Virus, EBV, EBV DNA, EBV PCR, EBV quant, Epstein-Barr virus, LABMIEBVQ, EBV Quantitative PCR, Blood

Last Review Date

09/05/2025