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Parainfluenza: antibodies to parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the blood

Alexey Portnov, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024

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Four types of parainfluenza viruses are known (1, 2, 3, 4), they are referred to RNA viruses. The virus is released into the environment during the first week of the disease. Detection of the parainfluenza virus in the nasopharyngeal discharge is performed using the immunofluorescence method. To detect specific antibodies to viruses in the blood serum, use of DSC or ELISA is used.

With RBC, the study is carried out at the onset of the disease and after 5-7 days, it is considered diagnostic to increase antibody titer by at least 4 times when examining paired sera. However, even with such a dynamics of antibodies, it is necessary to evaluate the results of the study with great care, since parainfluenza and mumps viruses have antigenic relationship, therefore, a 4-fold or more increase in the titer of antibodies to parainfluenza viruses in individuals after recently transferred viral mumps.

Compared with the RSK, the ELISA method (which makes it possible to detect antibodies of IgM and IgG types) is more sensitive (according to different authors, from 49% to 94%). However, as with RSK, for use in the diagnostic purposes of ELISA, comparison of antibody titers in serum samples obtained from patients at the beginning and at the end of the disease is necessary. This is due to the fact that even a single definition of elevated titre of IgM antibodies does not allow to unequivocally confirm the etiological diagnosis due to heterophilicity of this group of antibodies (they give a cross reaction with the antigen of other viruses).

Determination of antibodies to parainfluenza virus types 1, 2, 3 and 4 is used to diagnose acute respiratory viral infections, assess the intensity of post-vaccination immunity, diagnosis of parainfluenza.

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