If required, blood draws are conducted by independent clinics or mobile phlebotomists. Except for Quest tests, draw fees are not included.
About The Test
The immune system is the body’s means of protection against microorganisms and other “foreign” substances. It is composed of two major parts. One component, B lymphocytes, produces antibodies, proteins that attack “foreign” substances and cause them to be removed from the body; this is sometimes called the humoral immune system. The other component consists of special white blood cells called T lymphocytes, which can attack “foreign” substances directly; this is sometimes called the cellular immune system.
It takes time for both components of the immune system to develop. T lymphocytes become protective, and antibodies are developed after a person is exposed to specific “foreign” threats. Over a lifetime, the immune system develops an extensive library of identified substances and microorganisms that are cataloged as “threat” or “not threat.”
This panel includes the following tests:
