Currently, doctors have complete information about such a disease as chicken pox: its causative agent, ways of infection, course of infection, causes of complications, treatment tactics are known. Using laboratory methods, it is possible to diagnose atypical forms, detect the presence of antibodies in the blood, and differentiate chickenpox from other pathologies. What is the name of the analysis for chickenpox and why is it needed? This will be discussed further.
General information
The viral disease chickenpox, which is most often called chickenpox, is easily tolerated in childhood, but it is rather difficult in adults. The Varicella-zoster virus is the cause of the disease, once having been ill, a person remains a carrier of the virus for life. When infected with HIV, severe overwork, stress, reduced immunity, there is a high risk of another pathology - shingles. Therefore, the diagnosis of chickenpox is of great importance. Doctors mainly diagnose by the presence of a specific rash and the corresponding clinic. In some cases, to clarify it or to identify whether the patient had this disease in childhood, it is necessary to conduct an analysis for chickenpox. What is the name of this study? This question is often asked to physicians. There are many ways to detect the presence of a virus, so there is no single name.
For this, special methods are used - PCR, ELISA, RIF and others. Therapy of the disease is carried out on an outpatient basis. Doctors recommend treating skin rashes with antiseptic, antihistamine and antiviral medications. At high temperatures, take antipyretics. It is strictly forbidden to comb bubbles. Frequent changes of linen and bedding are indicated to reduce itching.
Reasons why a doctor recommends a test
Of course, there is no urgent need for a laboratory test for chickenpox. However, for some patients, doctors recommend it for monitoring and timely adjustment of therapy in case of complications.
Chickenpox blood test shown:
- For primary herpes zoster or herpes in adults.
- In children with mild symptoms and a severe course of the disease. They are prescribed this analysis only in doubtful cases, i.e., to confirm the diagnosis.
- When repeated rashes appear.
- With erased symptomsdiseases in adults. Older people have a hard time enduring it, unlike children. In addition, they often have various complications. Research results provide an opportunity to get a complete clinical picture and, if necessary, adjust therapy.
- To clarify the fact of the disease in the past. Due to the fact that the signs of the disease are similar to skin diseases, the patient is recommended to donate biomaterial in order to refute or confirm the presence of an active form of the virus.
- Women expecting a baby.
It should be noted that adults rarely get chickenpox, as those who have had an illness in childhood develop strong immunity. Therefore, when skin rashes appear, similar in nature to chickenpox, doctors first of all suspect skin pathology. And if the individual did not have chickenpox in childhood, then this analysis is shown to him.
Study for chickenpox in pregnant women
Gynecologists recommend that all women in a position who do not have information about whether they had this disease in childhood should be tested. If you receive a negative answer, you should be careful: avoid places where there are a lot of people, do not visit school and preschool institutions.
When a pregnant woman has a clinical picture of an illness, an antibody test is considered mandatory. Infection in the early stages can result in spontaneous abortion, in the later stages - deformities of the baby or stillbirth.
Doctors are advising women who are planning to conceive to get tested for chickenpox antibodies to see if they have them. In their absence, three months before the expected pregnancy, get vaccinated. After vaccination, immunity is formed, or a person carries the disease in a mild form.
Preparing for analysis
He althcare professionals advise following these guidelines:
- The day before the delivery of the biomaterial, exclude intense physical activity, the use of sweets, fatty, fried and other unhe althy foods, as well as the intake of alcohol-containing drinks.
- Donate blood on an empty stomach in the morning. However, there is a slight indulgence - it is allowed to drink some plain water.
- Must be at least eight hours after the last meal.
- Drugs distort the results of the study, so they are temporarily stopped (in agreement with the attending doctor).
Venous blood is taken for analysis. Antibodies begin to form from the fourth day of illness. At this time, they are detected, they are represented by immunoglobulin M. Type G appears later, they are already present in the bloodstream constantly and are easy to detect.
Diagnostic measures
The course of chickenpox in an adult is atypical. In situations where, on the basis of a visual examination, it is not possible to establish an accurate diagnosis, an analysis is carried out for chickenpox, since in this case it cannot be dispensed with. As a result of the study, it is determined whether there are enough antibodies to fight the antigen and how muchthe immune system fights off the disease. Based on the results obtained, the necessary drug therapy is selected.
Polymerase chain reaction or PCR
What is the name of the test for chickenpox, which shows the absence or presence of the virus in the body of an individual? Of course, this is PCR, which is a very reliable method. Its peculiarity is that even in the case of an insignificant concentration of the virus in the blood, it will be detected. Using the polymerase chain reaction, copies of the DNA virus are detected. Once in the body, the herpes virus of the third type quickly increases the number of its particles. Thanks to this study, it is possible to identify the pathogen and get an answer to the question of whether there is an infection with chickenpox or not.
Immunofluorescence reaction
RIF is the abbreviation for chickenpox analysis. This is an accurate and fast diagnostic method, which, in addition to confirming the diagnosis, allows you to identify the distribution of the ratio of antibody cells to antigens. The biomaterial is pre-treated with a special compound that allows the antigens to glow. Determine the presence of which is possible in case of their high concentration.
Enzymatic immunoassay, or ELISA
Most often, the analysis for immunity to chickenpox is carried out using this method. Thanks to the study, it is found out whether the individual was sick or not before. Antibodies are detected - immunoglobulin G and M. Antibodies of the IgM type appear in an individual after contact with a sick person a week later. If a person has been ill with chickenpox, then IgG is present in him all his life. This method has both pros and cons. The benefits are as follows:
- Allows to recognize even the minimum amount of antibodies.
- The ability to make an accurate diagnosis in the first days of the disease.
- Minimum number of blunders as the process is fully automated.
Flaws:
- High equipment cost.
- The need for a highly qualified specialist.
- Not all he althcare facilities operating in the compulsory he alth insurance system have such equipment.
Now you know what the chickenpox antibody test is called.
Additional tests
If it was not possible to determine the presence of chickenpox with high accuracy and to identify the presence of the herpes virus of the third type, then additional types of studies are shown to clarify the diagnosis:
- Cultural technique - allows you to determine the presence of the virus with high accuracy. The pathogen is isolated and applied to a nutrient medium and then, its behavior is observed. The chickenpox virus is highly aggressive and captures he althy cells very actively. This is a fairly accurate method of detecting the pathogen. Its disadvantage is the duration of the analysis. The whole procedure takes up to two weeks.
- What is the name of the analysis for chickenpox, or rather, the early detection of the virus? This is dot hybridization. The principle of the study is similar to PCR.
- Serological method - this method isolates immunoglobulin G. Most often it is used for herpes of the second type, but it is also done to determine antibodies to chickenpox.
- Immunogram - a hemotest is prescribed for individuals with an atypical course of the disease. Thanks to this method, the reaction of the body to the presence of the virus is detected. Often, when infected, a fairly strong immunity is developed. However, with serious pathologies, the recurrence of chickenpox is provoked by a decrease in immunity.
- Virological - biomaterial is taken from vesicles. It is prescribed in rare cases when the disease is atypical or complications are identified.
Deciphering the result of the analysis for chickenpox
If there are no G and M immunoglobulins in the blood, then this means that the individual has not been sick and is not currently sick with chickenpox, respectively, he has no immunity to this infection.
If antibodies of the IgM type are detected, but IgG is absent, then this indicates the height of the disease, since immunoglobulin M is formed first. Antibodies G arise later and are present in a person for the rest of his life.
If two types of antibodies are detected, the patient recovers.
If only G antibodies are found, it means that the individual has strong immunity, which was formed after the illness. Thanks to these antibodies, there is practically no chance of re-infection with chicken pox. The only exceptions are people with an excessively weakened immune system, for example, if they are carriers of the virushuman immunodeficiency. In such situations, there is a risk of getting sick again. Such patients must undergo a blood test for chickenpox, and now you know what this study is called.
