Antibodies To Ascaris IgG In The Blood: Norm, Decoding

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Antibodies To Ascaris IgG In The Blood: Norm, Decoding
Antibodies To Ascaris IgG In The Blood: Norm, Decoding

Video: Antibodies To Ascaris IgG In The Blood: Norm, Decoding

Video: Antibodies To Ascaris IgG In The Blood: Norm, Decoding
Video: Antibody Testing: IgG and IgM explained 2024, March
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Ascariasis is a disease caused by roundworms, a class of nematodes - roundworms. Ascariasis is the most common helminthiasis: according to WHO, about one billion of the world's population suffers from this disease, and these are only documented cases. It is currently possible to recognize this disease in a person by passing an analysis for antibodies to ascaris.

Content

  • 1 What is the danger of infection
  • 2 Clinical manifestations
  • 3 Methods for diagnosing ascariasis
  • 4 How to prepare for analyzes
  • 5 In what cases a blood test for antibodies is prescribed

The length of the human roundworm ranges from 15 to 45 cm. This is a rather large helminth. The source of infection is an infected person. You can get infected with ascariasis through food, water, dirty hands, unwashed fruits and vegetables. Roundworms are widespread around the world, but most of them are in tropical countries, where a hot and humid climate prevails, and less in countries with a dry climate.

After the ascaris larvae enter the human body, they migrate and attach to the mucous membrane of the small intestine. There they begin to grow and parasitize. Helminths reproduce very quickly - in just a day, the female roundworm lays about 240,000 eggs, most of which are excreted in the environment with feces.

What is the danger of infection

In the course of their vital activity, parasites release toxic substances, thereby harming the body. Adult roundworms can injure the walls of the small intestine, causing a local inflammatory effect and even perforation. These parasites can parasitize almost any organ - in the lungs and respiratory tract, gallbladder, liver and even in the heart.

If ascariasis has a neglected form, then the worms form a ball, which can clog the intestinal lumen, which leads to acute intestinal obstruction. Often, ascariasis becomes the cause of acute appendicitis, peritonitis and purulent abscesses.

Roundworms gradually disrupt the process of absorption of nutrients through the intestinal walls, which leads to a weakening of immunity, since the body is deprived of a significant part of vitamins and minerals.

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Clinical manifestations

The incubation period for ascariasis is short - 2-3 days. Then the following symptoms appear:

  • weakness, constant feeling of tiredness;
  • headache and dizziness;
  • insomnia;
  • an increase in body temperature up to 37.5 ° C;
  • decreased appetite;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • sharp pains in the abdomen, around the navel;
  • constipation or diarrhea.

Methods for diagnosing ascariasis

First of all, the infectious disease specialist collects anamnesis and asks in detail about the symptoms that led the patient to him.

This is followed by an analysis of feces. This is one of the main laboratory tests carried out when ascariasis is suspected. Such an analysis of feces is required. But it often happens that ascaris eggs in the feces are not detected, and all the signs of the disease are obvious, what happens:

  • during the migration of helminth larvae;
  • with a small amount of helminthic invasion in the intestine;
  • when there are mainly male helminths in the intestines.

The analysis of feces is informative mainly in chronic ascariasis, and the early stage of the disease - the phase of migration of ascaris larvae - is a big problem in terms of diagnosis.

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Next, blood is taken for antibodies. This serological technique is very effective at the initial stage of the disease. For the study, the patient's blood serum is taken, which is tested for antibodies to ascaris antigens. These antibodies appear in the blood about 5-7 days after infection with ascaris, and a positive serological test indicates that infection has occurred.

Modern medicine offers a very informative and reliable 92-94% enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The result of such a study depends on the degree of infection, the duration of the disease and the state of immunity of the infected person.

After entering the human body, the helminth immediately begins to feed on the blood cells of its new host, and then releases toxic substances and antigens. The last immunity of an infected person is perceived as foreign agents and respond to the invasion by increasing the production of specific antibodies called immunoglobulin, trying to defend themselves.

The amount of these antibodies is detected by the enzyme immunoassay, which allows you to confirm or deny the diagnosis.

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Normally, antibodies to ascaris in the blood are not detected.

The result of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay may still show a dubious and negative result. With the latter, IgG antibodies are absent, that is, infection with ascaris is excluded, and this is the norm. A dubious result means that there are antibodies in the blood serum, but their number is slightly lower than the ELISA indicator for ascariasis.

Decoding of serological analysis should be carried out only by a specialist who, based on the study, prescribes subsequent treatment.

Usually, an antibody blood test is not sufficient for a definitive diagnosis. It is necessary to repeat the analysis of feces again, sometimes X-rays are prescribed

How to prepare for tests

Neither a blood test nor a stool test require specific preparation. You need to refrain from eating 8-10 hours before taking blood and collecting feces for research.

When is a blood test for antibodies prescribed?

  1. If there are clinical symptoms of ascariasis.
  2. To recognize ascariasis if there are suspicions of other types of helminthiasis.
  3. Long-term presence of a person in close contact with people infected with ascariasis.
  4. To assess the result after the end of drug treatment.

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