antigeennegatief

Antigeennegatief, which literally means “antigen negative,” refers to a negative result in a diagnostic test that detects the presence of specific antigens on the surface of a pathogen or diseased cell. In medical practice the term is most commonly used for rapid antigen tests for respiratory viruses, especially for SARS‑CoV‑2. A test that is antigeennegatief indicates that no detectable level of the target antigen was found in the specimen, suggesting that the individual does not carry an active infection with that pathogen at the time of sampling.

The specificity of antigen tests is typically high, so a positive result is usually a reliable indication of infection. However, sensitivity is lower than that of nucleic acid amplification tests such as PCR, especially in cases of low viral load or early or late stages of disease. Therefore, a negative antigen result does not absolutely exclude infection; confirmatory testing with PCR is recommended when clinical suspicion remains high, in vulnerable populations, or when a false negative could have serious consequences.

Antigeennegatief results are also used in serology to detect absence of antigens indicating a lack of current infection, and in immunohistochemistry to confirm that tissues do not express certain characteristic proteins. In vaccine monitoring, an antigeennegatief status is desired to assure that there is no residual viral antigen in a vaccine batch.

In summary, antigeennegatief is a diagnostic designation indicating the absence of a detectable antigen in a test specimen, with implications for patient management, public health decisions, and quality control in medical laboratories.