A false positive serology test of SARS‑CoV‑2 in a patient with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia: A case report

Exp Ther Med. 2023 Mar 21;25(5):200. doi: 10.3892/etm.2023.11899. eCollection 2023 May.

Abstract

The serology test of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the critical assays to make a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The gold immunochromatography assay (GICA) is a common measure to test SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and IgM. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay are ~>80%. It has been reported that the result of GICA could be compromised in various situations, such as auto-immune diseases, Kawasaki disease, pregnancy or other conditions. However, following the European Hematology Association's consensus statement on the management of Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (WM) patients, serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM should not be affected by the total IgM or paraprotein levels. The present study reports a patient with duplicate positive serology tests of SARS-CoV-2 which is hypothesized to be due to monoclonal IgM caused by WM.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia; gold immunochromatography assay; immunoglobulin M.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

Grants and funding

Funding: The present study was funded by grant from Taizhou Science and Technology Bureau (grant no. 20ywa31).