Anti Merkel Viral Capsid Screen

General Information

Lab Name

Anti Merkel Viral Capsid Screen

Lab Code

AMERK2

Description

Testing is performed on the first AMERK sample to be ordered on a patient. No additional sample required. Panel will only be ordered by the Immunology lab.

Screening for the Merkel Polyomavirus VP1 Capsid antibody is done once, on the first sample with AMERK testing ordered. This assay is used to screen Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) patients for current or prior infection with the Merkel Cell Polyomavirus. Patients who lack these VP1 capsid antibodies do not make antibodies to the SmT oncoprotein and cannot be monitored using the SmT oncoprotein antibody assay. VP1 antibodies are not an indicator of disease activity.

References

1. Paulson et al., Antibodies to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus T Antigen Oncoproteins Reflect Tumor Burden in Merkel Cell Carcinoma Patients, Cancer Research (2010) 70:8388.

2. Paulson et al., Viral Oncoprotein Antibodies as a Marker for Recurrence of Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Prospective Validation Study, Cancer (2017) 123:1464.

Components

Code	Name
MCVPR2	Merkel Virus VP1 Capsid Ab
MCVPI2	Merkel Virus Capsid Ab Interp
MALID2	Merkel Alt Patient ID
MCMTH2	Merkel Anti VP1 Method