Analysis for hidden infections: a list of what they give

In modern life, more often you have to deal with various diseases. Particular importance in medicine has acquired problems with the fight against infectious diseases. They are capable of causing various pathological changes in the body, provoking the spread of infection throughout the body. They are difficult enough to diagnose and treat, quickly develop resistance to medicines, are rapidly multiplying. But the main danger is that they often cause mass epidemics, spreading from person to person. Despite the rapid development of medicine, diagnosis, problems did not decrease. Today, hidden infections that are asymptomatic are a big danger. A person often does not even suspect that he has a disease, nevertheless, it is progressing. In addition, a person is a carrier and becomes a source of infection, while infecting other people. Fortunately, today you can detect such diseases and make timely arrangements. The analysis of hidden infections will help in this.

Under the latent infections mean the whole complex of diseases which are transferred mainly sexual by and proceed secretly, imperceptibly. They can not disturb for a long time.

[1], [2]

Do I need to do tests for hidden infections?

They need to be taken periodically, because it makes it possible to detect those infections that develop in the body asymptomatically. They provide an opportunity to identify such diseases at early stages and prevent their further development. Despite the fact that the disease does not bother the person, it still develops in the body and causes corresponding pathological damage at various levels: cellular, tissue, organ. Some day the infection will still manifest itself. Most often it manifests itself when the body has already undergone serious changes, often irreversible. At such a late stage, the disease is often difficult to treat, and sometimes it does not respond at all. Effective treatment can only be in the early detection of the disease, because the pathologies that develop as a result of infectious damage are irreversible.

This type of infection always reduces immunity, and can lead to serious complications. Most of the latent infections are transmitted sexually, affect the reproductive organs and lead to infertility. Many of them are capable of destroying the genetic information of germ cells, which entails various genetic pathologies and anomalies in the further birth of the child.

In addition, infections are dangerous because they can be transmitted to the child, lead to intrauterine infection. It does not matter who is ill: mother or father. Some infections can provoke the development of cancerous tumors and immunodeficiency states. Against the background of infection secondary pathologies develop: severe diseases of the kidneys, liver, heart failure.

[3], [4], [5]

Indications for conduction

Analyzes are conducted as prescribed by the doctor, and on the patient's own initiative. The reason for the analysis should serve as unprotected sexual contact with an unfamiliar person, frequent and promiscuous sexual intercourse.

A mandatory analysis is considered before pregnancy. With any pathological symptoms, such as pain in the abdomen, burning and discomfort in the genital area, discharge, a sharp odor. At the slightest suspicion of a pathology or disorder, it is necessary to take an analysis, as well as in case of a sharp loss of weight and a decrease in appetite. Many concomitant diseases give the doctor an excuse to suspect the presence of hidden infections. For example, frequent colds can cause latent leaking herpes.

Preparation

To get reliable and most accurate results on hidden infections, they need to be prepared. First, it is necessary to stop taking immunomodulators, antibacterial, antiviral and other antibiotics, vitamins. Do not use antiseptic drugs, even local ones. All these substances can significantly affect the results, distorting them. For example, antibacterial drugs can temporarily reduce the number of microorganisms, or translate them into an inactive form, in which they do not develop.

During stimulation of the immune system, there is also a temporary deactivation and a decrease in the activity of any infection, and false positive results are possible. Such results indicate the presence of an infection in the body, whereas in reality it does not. This is because the number of immune complexes increases dramatically, which can erroneously react with the indicator that determines the presence of infection. There may be a sharp increase in the number of certain substances that often indicate an infection and the doctor incorrectly interprets the result.

Before taking the test for 2-3 days, abstain from sexual intercourse, which will allow to examine the natural microflora of the patient without entering the transitory (temporary flora). Also, it is impossible 24 hours before the procedure to perform douching, use local contraceptives, anesthetics, personal hygiene products. This will allow to investigate the microflora in its natural state, without introducing an extraneous and destroying the existing one. Women are best to follow their menstrual cycle and pass the analysis on the 5th-6th day of a new cycle. This will give the most accurate results, since during this period all infections are maximally activated due to a slight decrease in immunity.

Unlike usual tests, when alcoholic and non-dietary food is excluded, everything is quite the opposite: doctors recommend drinking alcoholic beverages on the eve of the test, eating harmful food: fatty, spicy, sauces, marinades, spices. This trick facilitates detection, which under normal conditions is sufficiently masked. Immunity decreases, and the infection is activated, making it easier to identify. For the same reason, if you have a cold - this is the ideal time to submit such an analysis.

The rules for testing for hidden infections

The main rule is to prepare for it in advance, in about 3-5 weeks. It is necessary to stop taking any medicines, especially those that affect the immune system, increase the body's resistance, and have a general restorative effect. Do not take drugs that reduce inflammation, normalizing the microflora. Also you can not take sorbents and antitoxic drugs.

For 2 days you can not swim, use local medicines, have sex. Analysis is better to take in a weakened state: with stress, hypothermia, overwork, light malaise. This will allow the infection to fully manifest itself, to move into an active form.

What hidden infections are tested?

Hidden infections are a group of diseases that affect the body and develop in it secretly. Most of these are STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). They affect both women and men. Dangerous that if one partner becomes ill, another will certainly fall ill. There is also a risk of intrauterine fetal damage. Hidden they are also called for the reason that they are difficult to diagnose. By conventional, traditional methods, it is practically impossible to identify them, specific diagnostic methods are required. The list consists of 31 pathogens. Among them, the most dangerous are mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Gardnerella. The danger of these infections is that they are intracellular parasites. In this regard, they are very difficult to treat, because virtually no drug is not able to penetrate inside the cell. They have developed a reliable protection system, through which they can inactivate the drug and prevent its destructive effect. This allows them to move freely in the extracellular space, actively multiply. No less dangerous are herpes, syphilis, papillomas, cytomegalovirus, fungi.

Analysis of hidden infections in women

Usually take blood and smear. Women need to undergo a regular examination, since infection can cause many diseases that subsequently lead to infertility. Below is a brief description of the main female hidden infections.

Mycoplasmosis, caused by microplasmas. It is a microorganism occupying an intermediate position between viruses, fungi and bacteria. Sexually transmitted, the first signs of the disease usually appear after 1.5-2 months. For men, such microorganisms are either harmless or can cause mild inflammation. In women, they cause numerous pathologies, which are especially intense during pregnancy. Most often, they are the cause of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions, stillbirths.

Chlamydia. Pathogen - chlamydia, is an obligate intracellular parasite. A woman causes inflammation, erosion. It has the ability to penetrate the placental barriers, leading to abnormalities of fetal development.

Herpes, cytomegalovirus. Substantially reduces immunity, provokes numerous infectious and inflammatory diseases. It causes frequent colds, angina, inflammation of the lymph nodes. Be sure to give in when registering for pregnancy, because it can complicate the course of pregnancy, can be transmitted to the child.

HPV infection can covertly develop throughout life. Often such infections manifest themselves only in old age in the form of numerous papillomas on the surface of the skin.

Candidiasis. The causative agent is a fungal microorganism, which is activated with reduced immunity and dysbiosis. Candida are representatives of normal intestinal microflora, but under unfavorable conditions are able to spread throughout the body.

Actinomycetes occupy an intermediate position between fungi and bacteria. Representatives of the normal microflora of the oral cavity. In cases of excessive spread colonize and other organs. They are the basis of sepsis.

Trichomonas cause inflammation and erosion. For a long time they do not find themselves in any way. As a result, a woman infects a sexual partner. It can cause intrauterine infection of the fetus.

Hepatitis causes jaundice, viral liver damage.

Bacterial vaginosis can occur as a result of infection, and as a result of dysbiosis. It is shown by abundant secretions, burning, pain.

[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11],

Analysis of hidden infections during pregnancy

In pregnancy, a mandatory analysis of TORCH - an infection that includes a set of basic fetal affections that affect the fetus itself, is given. In this name are encrypted: toxoplasmosis, HIV, chicken pox, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, gonococcal infection, rubella, cytomegalovirus infection. It is rented for free.

[12]

Analysis for hidden infections in men

The special danger of hidden infections in men is that they do not appear long enough. The incubation period in this case is much longer than in women. Sometimes they appear only after years and even decades, causing latent inflammation and other serious disorders. Usually, the disease manifests itself after a long incubation period with such dangerous diseases as prostatitis, prostate adenoma, various tumors, infertility. There are cases when the ability to fertilize is preserved, but genetic information in them is still significantly affected. The fertilized fetus develops with genetic abnormalities. In addition, during the sexual contact, both the future mother and the child are infected at the same time.

It is very important to take timely measures, to identify the disease in the early stages, so you need to undergo preventive examinations at the urologist. You need to prepare yourself for the analysis. About a month, exclude the taking of any medicines. It is possible to urinate only a few hours before delivery. For 3 days you can not swim, use anesthetics and antiseptics, have sex.

[13],

Analysis for hidden infections in children

Often children get sick because of hidden infections. Analysis should be given in the event that a child often suffers from colds, has reduced immunity, if his respiratory system is impaired. Also, the analysis should be carried out if the infant was diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis.

The main clinically significant infections for the child: measles, rubella, whooping cough, scarlet fever, meningococcal infection, hepatitis, acute intestinal infections. The analysis is appointed by the pediatrician after a preliminary examination.

[14], [15], [16], [17]

Methods of analysis for latent infection

There are many methods with which you can conduct an analysis of hidden infections. Conventionally, all methods can be divided into three large groups: bacteriological, immunological, molecular-genetic.

To carry out bacteriological research, usually take a swab, or scraping. Most often, the secret of the genital organs, various secretions, semen serves as the material for the study. Soskob is taken from the mucous membranes of the genitals. First, a preliminary microscopic examination is performed, which makes it possible to detect in the smear the signs that could indirectly indicate the presence of infection. Most often such signs are protein, mucus, fibers. Sometimes in a microscope you can see the microorganism itself, which is the causative agent of the disease. In its appearance, one can roughly guess which representative of a group it is.

Then, the resulting material is sown to the nutrient medium. First, the seeding is done on a normal nutrient medium, incubated for several days under a thermostat. Then one or more colonies are isolated, immunological studies are conducted with them, which make it possible to approximately identify the microorganism. Then they do the reseeding of the grown colonies to selective nutrient media and to the jambs for further biochemical analyzes. Incubate in a thermostat for a certain time, depending on the type and rate of growth of the microorganism.

Biochemical studies are conducted, microscopy, which makes it possible to identify the organism by determining its species and generic accessory. The degree of seeding, that is, the concentration of microorganisms, is also determined. The advantage of this method is that it is immediately possible to select the drug that will be most effective against this microorganism and its exact dosage. Accordingly, it is possible to choose a treatment that will be most effective and safe.

Immunological methods include a wide range of techniques. The principle of the method in most of them is to identify specific antigen-antibody complexes that are formed as a result of the interaction between the antigen and the antibody. The antigen is a microorganism, or genes, proteins, metabolic products that are produced by it. The bottom line is that they are foreign to the body.

The immune system immediately activates, begins to produce antibodies against them - proteins aimed at destroying and eliminating a foreign agent. Antibodies attack antigens, stick to them, forming a complex immune complex, which is detected during the reaction.

For the analysis, blood is needed. The blood serum is separated from the blood by means of centrifugation. Then pour the serum into test tubes, antigen is added to it. Incubate for several hours. As a result of the reaction complexes are formed which precipitate. By the turbidity of the solution, the antigen concentration in the blood is judged.

Antigen-antibody complexes precipitated are formed only when there is an antigen (infection) in the blood. In the absence of infection, complexes are not formed. The test tubes are compared to the international turbidity standard and the amount of microorganisms in the blood is judged by the degree of turbidity. More accurately, quantitative indicators can be determined using a spectrophotometer. The liquid is poured into special cuvettes and put into the apparatus. Then pass the rays of light. According to the indices of refraction of light in the liquid, the apparatus calculates the extinction indices. Based on this data, the recalculation is carried out in a special computer program. The result is obtained as the concentration of infectious cells. A calibration schedule is also being constructed, in which all the data are graphically presented.

There is a similar method in which antigens, and antibodies, are detected. The procedure is no different, except that antigens are added to the solution instead of antibodies. There is a similar reaction of complexation in the event that the body has antibodies to this infection. But this method is less accurate, as the risk of false positive results increases. The fact that antibodies can form and to another infection, and even with the usual inflammation. Despite the high specificity, the reaction may erroneously occur.

Of interest is the immunofluorescence method (RIF), in which the resulting biological material is stained with a special fluorescent dye. Samples are studied under a fluorescent microscope. In this case, the cells of infectious agents and the products of their vital activity acquire a glow. The sensitivity of the method is 70%. Most often used for the study of syphilis.

The radioisotope method makes it possible to identify similar complexes in the radioactive radiation stream.

Molecular genetic methods are based on the detection of the genome of the microorganism or the microorganism itself in the test sample. This group includes the method of sequencing the genome, PCR, and other methods.

General analysis for latent infections

In general, the idea of the processes that occur in the body can be obtained from a general blood test. He opens the formula of blood in detail, having read that, you can find signs that indicate the inflammatory or infectious process, the degree of its severity. For example, the presence of infection may indicate increased ESR, elevated levels of leukocytes and neutrophils. The leukocyte formula shifts to the left. Of course, such an analysis can not show which microorganism caused such changes. Moreover, these indicators do not always indicate an infection. Similar indicators can be for colds, inflammatory diseases, in the recovery period, in the presence of tumors. But it gives the doctor the opportunity to suspect violations and conduct a detailed study to discover the causes.

Blood test for hidden infections

The blood test is carried out mainly by immunological methods, in which antigen-antibody complexes are detected. The method is highly specific, it makes it possible to identify the presence of infection in the early stages. This analysis is given if there is a suspicion of an infection, if a person is often sick, a long recovery does not occur during pregnancy. Also, this analysis should be submitted for prevention with the purpose of timely detection of pathology, with doubtful sexual intercourse, to exclude the possibility of infection, with the appearance of any disease or discomfort in the genital area.

[18], [19]

Urine analysis for latent infections

With the help of urine analysis, infection of the genital tract and urinary organs can be determined. Normally, urine is a sterile liquid. Detection of microorganisms in it indicates the development of the infectious process. The study is carried out by bacteriological method. The most common method of sowing is Goleman. It makes it possible to isolate the pathogen, to carry out its full identification, to determine the concentration. If necessary, it is possible to select an effective drug and determine its dosage.

PCR analysis for latent infections

PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, is a molecular genetic method of investigation, the essence of which is the detection of a microorganism in a sample of DNA or RNA. You can also determine its number. The method is highly specific, the accuracy reaches 100%.

For detection, the test material is placed in a reactor, necessary enzymes are added, which bind the DNA and align its copy. The method is based on the replication of the genome. You can identify any type of infection, including hidden.

Analysis of the smear for latent infection

When carrying out a gynecological examination or a urologist, a swab from the mucous membranes of the genitals must be taken. For detection, a microscopic method is often used, in which a micropreparation is prepared from a sample obtained and studied under a microscope. Also, the smear is analyzed by other methods, for example, PCR, ELISA. The most informative and accurate is PCR.

[20], [21]

Sperm analysis for latent infections

To test sperm for infection, the PCR method is used. Before taking the test, you must refrain from sexual intercourse for 2-3 days, do not take any medications. Hidden infection significantly reduces the ability of sperm to fertilize. In the early stages, you can take the necessary measures to identify the infection.

Express analysis for hidden infections

The fastest method of determining the infection are immunological methods. But it should be borne in mind that they are used more for general screening, monitoring. It makes it possible to identify the infection in the early stages and take the necessary measures. For the detailed information, it is necessary to conduct parallel and other studies. If the training rules are not properly implemented or are not followed, false-positive and false-negative methods are possible. To increase the reliability of the study, it is better to apply several methods at once. For example, PCR and ELISA. On average, these tests take 1-2 days, depending on the workload of the laboratory. If necessary, you can accelerate to 3-4 hours.

[22], [23], [24], [25], [26]

Normal performance

It is impossible to judge normal indicators for a whole group of infections. For each specific infection, there are indicators of the norm. For example, conditionally pathogenic microorganisms should normally be present in the normal microflora. Both their reduction and increase lead to the development of the disease. On average, the norm values for this group range from 10 ²  to 10 ⁴  CFU / ml. Many pathogens should not be found in the body at all. Their detection indicates infection.

Also, the indices of the norm depend on the individual characteristics of the organism, the state of immunity, and age. Some fluids should normally be sterile, while others must contain a microflora.

Decoding the analysis for hidden infections

It all depends on what method was used for the analysis of hidden infections. If bacteriological analysis has been performed, the result will be indicated in the form of the name of the infection detected. The number of infections in the body is indicated next. When carried out by immunological and molecular genetic methods, the result can be positive upon detection of the pathogen and negative in its absence. When carrying out two analyzes in parallel, you can get conflicting information (at first glance). Negative PCR and positive ELISA may indicate a recovery period after curing for an infection. Positive PCR and negative ELISA may indicate a chronic form of infection. 

[27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32]