Today, the definition of the lamblia antigen in the blood is a modern diagnostic method that allows to determine, with an accuracy of 99%, the presence of simple flagellar microorganisms in the intestine of a child or an adult. High reliability of the received parameters, absence of subjective factors, speed of carrying out of tests - advantages at the analysis of a feces on antigens of lamblia are many. To conduct it does not require special training: you do not need to keep a diet, canceling the prescription of medicines prescribed by doctors. To carry out the study, only the delivery of the biomaterial is required.
Despite the scientific achievements of the twenty-first century, the precise diagnosis of giardiasis continues to be a problem for doctors all over the world. Until recently, a complex of diagnostic procedures was used, allowing to learn a lot, but not all.
Analyzes for lamblia antigens
The blood test for AT lamblia is poorly informative. Its conduct is justified when it is necessary to determine the stage of development of parasitic infection. IFA feces, which helps to detect specific antigens, is devoid of all the above disadvantages. Therefore, it is it willingly appointed and adults and children, if there is a possibility of holding it. The described method does not require the use of endoscopic equipment and venous blood collection, there are no special rules for collecting material and delivering it to the laboratory. Even a three-day feces is suitable for determining antigens in giardiasis.
What do antibodies and antigens( AT and AG) lamblia mean?
The study of feces for antibodies and antigens for giardiasis is based on fundamental knowledge about immunology. They describe the complex reactions that occur inside the body when foreign antigen cells enter it.
So, on the body of each immune cell there is a very dynamic molecule( antibody).It is able to connect with the antigens of another's cells and transmit information about it to the body of the immune cell. If it can not identify it, the body of the immune cell kills the connection with the foreign antigen and releases the cell from it. That is why with strong immunity it becomes possible to carry lamblia without the formation of complex pathological processes. When the immunity of the infected person does not cope with its task, the number of foreign bacteria sharply increases. The analysis of feces on lamblia antigen just shows the phenomenon of the picture described.
How is the lamblia antigens assayed?
Analyzes for antibodies and antigens to lamblia are a complex diagnostic procedure consisting of two components:
- Enzymatic reaction.
- Immune response.
The enzymatic reaction is carried out in several stages:
- First, the lab technician adds AT lamblia to the provided biological material( they must attract antigens of the simplest parasites).
- Then, with the help of special reagents from feces, antibodies that do not react with antigens are removed.
- The unbound enzymes are then rinsed.
- The last stage - the implementation of inhibition of reactions with a special stop solution. It changes the color of the enzymes. The color is diagnosed.
- The lab technician has a control negative test. If the sample produced is antigen-positive, the test material is dyed darker.
A positive result for the lamblia antigen means an acute course of parasitic infection( in the presence of a characteristic clinical picture) or carriage of lamblia( in the absence of vivid symptoms).
A negative value indicates the absence of simple flagellar microorganisms. But this is not a reason for joy. If the patient complains of the presence of symptoms of intestinal and dyspeptic disorders when collecting an anamnesis, he will be required to repeatedly take a feces analysis for antigens to lamblia. And only the summary indicators will give a reliable answer. The test described does not permit detection of carriage if an insignificant amount of the causative agent of intestinal infection is present in the stool of the infected person. Knowing what decoding means, you can try to correctly approach the process of diagnosing the described infection.
To obtain an immune response in giardiasis, a blood test( ELISA) is performed. It allows to detect the number and density of the presence of antibodies( immunoglobulin).The coefficient of positivity is the diagnostic response:
- If it is less than 0.9 units, a negative response is diagnosed.
- Indicators from 0.9 to 1.1 units - the answer is doubtful.
- The total result is more than 1,1 - positive.
When decoding the analysis, the total positive result is not questioned, but the negative answer for giardiasis is an occasion for a re-examination. Knowledge of how the study is conducted on AT and AH, what the described indicators mean, help to really assess the situation and take the necessary measures to eliminate the simplest flagellum microorganisms.