Old labs -- new numbers and new questions -- CMV and syphilis

[Assurbanipal]

So I went and got my lab reports from when I was hospitalized back in 2006.  Mainly because my ID doc hasn't been as reliable as I'd like on giving me recent lab results over the phone, decided it was worthwhile to get the actual reports.

It was pretty easy -- went to the hospital and they pushed a few keys and printed them on the spot. 

The numbers are a little different than what I recall being told and some of them raise questions that I guess I may need to follow up on.  I wonder how much of this is my bad memory -- the drugs I was on in the hospital did give me hallucinations and other side effects.  But some of the stuff is just hard to interpret, so if any of you have suggestions I'd appreciate it.

CD4 count 22 (vs. my recollection of 40) and 5%  -- viral load did not print
Negative for Hep A,B and C
Negative for MRSA
Prior exposure to EBV (Assume this is Epstein Barr virus?)

CMV Ab IgG 29 (positive)
CMV Ab IgM negative

What does this mean?

RPR nonreactive

Does this mean negative for syphilis?

Thanks
Assurbanipal

[Inchlingblue]

CMV is very prevalent throughout the population but it only becomes a concern if there is a compromised immune system.

Here is a brief explanation of the two types of antibodies, which explains why you tested positive for one and negative for the other:

Two types of CMV antibodies may be found in the blood: IgM and IgG. IgM antibodies are the first to be produced by the body in response to a CMV infection. They are present in most individuals within a week or two after the initial exposure. IgM antibody production rises for a short time period and declines. Eventually, after several months, the level of CMV IgM antibody usually falls below detectible levels. Additional IgM are produced when latent CMV is reactivated. IgG antibodies are produced by the body several weeks after the initial CMV infection to provide long-term protection. Levels of IgG rise during the active infection, then stabilize as the CMV infection resolves and the virus becomes inactive. Once a person has been exposed to CMV, they will have some measurable amount of CMV IgG antibody in their blood for the rest of their life. CMV IgG antibody testing can be used, along with IgM testing, to help confirm the presence of a recent or previous CMV infection.

LINK:

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cmv/test.html

EBV is Epstein Barr Virus

RPR non-reactive means no syphilis