PCR method for chlamydia how to take. Preparation and delivery of the analysis for chlamydia by the PCR method. And here is my story

A smear on chlamydia by PCR method should be regularly taken to persons leading a promiscuous intimate life. The analysis is also carried out in case of a disease in the sexual partner or the appearance of unpleasant symptoms. Examination of pregnant women is mandatory.

Characteristics of the PCR method

This is the most informative research method, on the basis of which the final diagnosis is usually made. Other methods require additional confirmation. PCR analysis is an accurate method, it is prescribed by most doctors, and it is convenient for the patient.

The polymerase chain reaction is the latest development in molecular medicine. This study is based on a series of actions during which the causative agent of the infection is detected and identified. Despite the complexity of execution and the detailed study of the material, the result can be obtained in a few days. You should not use express diagnostics, it does not always make it possible to detect chlamydia.

You need to know how this test is taken. The test will require blood, urine, or urethral discharge. Preparation for the fence has its own characteristics. It is recommended to donate blood for chlamydia on an empty stomach. Do not drink water or use chewing gum. Otherwise, the PCR analysis may give an incorrect result. Men are investigated:

urethral smear;
seminal fluid.

Patients should give up intimacy 24 hours before delivery and pre-ejaculate. It negatively affects the results of the study. There are other rules that must be followed.

Urine for PCR analysis can be collected both at home and in the laboratory. In the first case, you need to urinate in a sterile container immediately after waking up. The first portion of urine is used for detection. The received material must be delivered to a medical institution within 3 hours. A positive test result is an indication for additional testing. An integrated approach allows you to determine the form and severity of the disease.

How is the procedure performed

The test procedure for men and women is different. Most of all, this concerns the process of collecting secretions from the genitals. In women, a swab is taken from the vagina or urethra. In order for the study to give the correct result, it is recommended:

Blood is donated. This type of research does not harm the developing child and allows you to get a complete picture of the disease. The same method is used for chronic chlamydia. Identifying an infection in urine is more difficult.

PCR analysis in men involves taking a smear from the urethra or semen. Preparation is not much different from that of women:

You should refrain from urinating for 3 hours before submitting the material. This will ensure the reliability of the result of the examination of the urethral smear.
If it is necessary to collect semen, the last sexual intercourse should take place no later than a day before visiting the laboratory.
You can not use pills and gels to stimulate an erection. Such drugs negatively affect the hormonal background of the man's body, due to which the purity of the semen is disturbed and the result of the analysis may be incorrect.

Decryption features

Processing the material requires no more than half an hour. During the research process, DNA fragments are copied many times. The nucleotide chain is formed under the influence of an enzyme - polymerase. To start a reaction, a substance requires a launching pad, which is represented by catalysts - synthetic oligonucleotides. Polymerase sequentially adds nucleotides to form DNA templates. Thus, 2 new fragments are produced in one temperature cycle. In 25–35 cycles, a test tube accumulates billions of copies of a piece of DNA.

Deciphering the results takes about 8 hours. However, to increase the reliability, many experts recommend in parallel to donate blood for the presence of antibodies to chlamydia. This will help determine the stage and nature of the course of the disease and choose the most effective therapeutic regimen. The norm is the result when chlamydia trachomatis is absent in the obtained sample. Both partners must donate material for PCR analysis, otherwise the treatment will be useless.

Disadvantages and advantages of the method

One of the main advantages of PCR diagnostics is high accuracy. The positive characteristics include the fact that, on the basis of its results, it is possible not only to reveal the presence of chlamydia in the body, but also to detect other STIs. To carry out the study, the minimum amount of material is required, a blood test for chlamydia can be performed in each laboratory.

The disadvantage is the frequent receipt of a false positive result. This is due to many factors, the influence of which is not always possible to eliminate. Therefore, if chlamydia is detected in a smear, serological tests must be used. A negative result also does not always indicate the absence of an infectious agent.

The final diagnosis is based on the results of laboratory tests, examination of the patient and the clinical picture of the disease.

Chlamydia belongs to the category of infections that are discovered by chance. This is due to the asymptomatic course, in which the disease still affects the internal organs. In order to avoid the development of dangerous complications, it is necessary to undergo an annual examination. The indication for PCR is the presence of indirect signs of the disease, because the timely detection and treatment of chlamydia leads to a complete recovery.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is a common nuisance for sexually active people. If they neglect methods of barrier contraception and do not deny themselves the annual change of sexual partners.

The characteristics of this microorganism are such that they have every chance not only to penetrate the human body. With any type of coitus (vaginal, anal, oral), chlamydia successfully enter the cells, forming an extracellular form (elementary body). And wait out unfavorable times in the form of vegetative L-forms. This type of infectious agent exhibits the properties of a bacterium and a virus at the same time. They have their own double membrane and cellular content. The intracellular coccus, however, actively uses host cell organelles. It multiplies in them and gets out into the intercellular space in an already multiplied state. For successful attachment to the cell surface of the stratified squamous epithelium of the genital tract, urinary tract, the elementary body in the outer part of its membrane has specific proteins.

The pathogenicity of a microorganism is the better, the more actively it secretes an internal toxin. When trying to get rid of it with antiseptics or physical methods, the pathogen is transformed. Forms a non-dividing form that manages to avoid even exposure to a number of antibiotics. All this determines the high infection rate of the world's population (up to 10% of the adult male population and up to 30% of women). The infection can remain in the body for a long time in a latent form.

Gives a chronic course of chlamydial infections of the genitals, urinary tract, oropharynx, cardiovascular system, joints, eyes. The powerful protein antigens of chlamydia often trigger cascades of autoimmune processes with the production of antibodies against human tissues and organs.

This results in autoimmune thyroiditis, synovitis, systemic diseases of the connective tissue and joints. Chlamydia retains its leading position as the culprit of secondary female and male infertility. Therefore, the relevance of timely and reliable diagnosis of chlamydia is extremely high.

PCR for chlamydia

Almost universal biological material for research is venous blood taken on an empty stomach.

However, it should be remembered that the focus of infection can be located in places far from the vein from which blood was taken. It is recommended to perform a study of scrapings of the endothelium of the urinary and genital tract. Those. urethra, vagina, cervical canal. Also scrapings from the rectum, mouth, pharynx, conjunctival sac. Diagnosis is possible using urine, semen, prostatic secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, wound discharge or washings. That is, material from the focus of inflammation is sent for analysis. This technique allows you to get the result within the first day from the delivery of the material to the laboratory. Can be considered an express method. The method is qualitative. The laboratory gives the answer in the form of a mark on the form: “found” (positive) and “not found” (negative). The decryption must necessarily be shown to the attending physician. During the analysis, fragments of chlamydial specific deoxyribonucleic acid are searched for. The sensitivity threshold is 100 copies of DNA in a sample. In contrast to bacterioscopy and cultures, where the border of normal bacterial growth is considered to be 10 to 4 degrees of colony-forming units.

Indications for examination:

Clinic of urogenital chlamydia (dysuria, discharge from the urethra or vagina).
Suspected chlamydia of the urinary tract or genitals.
Search for intrauterine infection.
Planned pregnancy (in 2 months), including IVF.
The onset of pregnancy (during pregnancy, tests are carried out up to 22 weeks or in the presence of a clinic of genital infection).
Male infertility, teratozoospermia, asthenozoospermia.
Female infertility (especially secondary).

Miscarriage, premature birth, death of previously born babies in the postnatal period, malformation or intrauterine growth retardation in fetuses.
Unprotected sex episodes.
In persons who have had two or more sexual partners in the past twelve months.
In order to assess the recovery from chlamydia (from the end of the antibacterial course, at least thirty days should pass).

Hemotest involves the collection of venous blood on an empty stomach (previous meal four hours before the study).

In women, the polymerase chain reaction of scrapings of the endothelium of the cervical canal or vagina and urethra is preferably performed in the first half of the menstrual cycle. Not earlier than the fifth day from the beginning of the last menstruation). If the study is carried out about the second half of the cycle, then it should be seven to five days from the next menstrual bleeding. The collection of material can be carried out on the same day. For scraping from the urethra, abstinence from urination is required for two hours before the analysis.

If possible, carry out preliminary preparation for the study. Then she should exclude the use of local antiseptics two weeks before the study. Oral antibiotics for a month. Douching is contraindicated on the day of material sampling and the day before. Scrapings are performed during examination by a gynecologist or venereologist on a chair. The material is taken from the vagina, cervical canal and urethra.

How to give scrapings to men so that the result is as reliable as possible?

Do not use antibiotics internally for a month, local antiseptics - fourteen days.
Do not have sex or masturbate for 48 hours.
Don't urinate for two hours.

Scraping is performed from the urethra at an appointment with a urologist or venereologist. To do this, a urological probe is inserted into the urethra to a depth of 4 centimeters. If necessary, scrapings are performed from the rectal area. oropharynx or conjunctiva of the eye.

How is urine collected?

In sterile laboratory glassware (usually a disposable plastic container), 20-30 ml of morning urine is collected. The ejaculate is collected on the day the laboratory is examined. Prostatic secret - by urologist after prostate massage. Preparation requirements are similar to those for collecting scrapings from the urethra.

Detection of chlamydial DNA in cerebrospinal fluid requires spinal puncture in a specialized hospital. Can there be situations when DNA is not detected by PCR? Yes, if there is no chlamydia in the body or the number of DNA copies is below the threshold sensitivity of the study. In cases of mixed infections (for example, chlamydia and herpes, chlamydia and Trichomonas or gonococci), additional PCR or serological studies may be required for other groups of pathogens of genital infections.

Chlamydia PCR analysis

Today, PCR is one of the most progressive and reliable methods for diagnosing chlamydia of various localizations.

PCR has several advantages over other methods of laboratory diagnostics:

It has a very high sensitivity to the DNA of the pathogen.
100% specific. That is, it does not accept the genetic material of chlamydia as similar to other pathogens, does not confuse chlamydia with other cells and infectious agents.
It can be used in the period before the development of the clinic (in incubation). With an erased course or a chronic version of the infection, it gives the same accurate results as with an acute process.
There is no strict binding to a specific biological material: different cells and tissues of the body can be examined.
Suitable as an express method. It is done within a day, less often up to three days.
It is the search for the pathogen that is being carried out, and not indirect signs of its presence (blood antibodies).
In the same material that is being investigated for chlamydia, other causative agents of genital infections (ureaplasma, mycoplasma, herpes) can be detected by PCR.

The method has few disadvantages. However, they are present:

False positive results. In patients treated for chlamydia, DNA residues of the pathogen can give a false positive test response.
Direct link to laboratory quality. A decent PCR test can only be carried out in a laboratory equipped with all consumables. Therefore, in the OMS system, PCR diagnostics are often replaced by low-informative microscopy.

How to take a PCR analysis and how much a specific study costs can be clarified in the laboratory where the examination is to be carried out.

PCR smear for chlamydia

In some cases, it is possible to study saliva smears using the polymerase chain reaction method.

The indications for such a study are similar to those when performing scrapings from the throat and mouth. It:

Suspected oropharyngeal chlamydia.
Persistent cough, accompanied by rises in temperature.
Pneumonia of unknown origin.
Fever of unknown origin.

Conditions that are important to comply with before taking material for research:

Do not test while on antibiotic treatment (two-week moratorium).
For six hours before taking the material, do not irrigate the oral cavity with antiseptics and do not use antibacterial preparations for resorption.
Rinse your mouth with water at room temperature immediately before testing.

The test is qualitative. The results are interpreted similarly to those of PCR for other biological materials (blood, endothelial scrapings). The answer form will be marked “found” or “not found”. The terms of the study are up to two days. Several hours, if necessary. Polymerase chain reaction, as a type of genotyping of chlamydia trachomatis, is the most convenient method for identifying an infectious agent at different stages of the infectious process. The difficulties of diagnosis are nevertheless present. Free clinics do not have sufficient funding. They cannot offer their patients DNA typing for the main types of genital pathogens for free.

Often, the laboratories of these medical institutions are simply not supplied with consumables for such studies. The patient has to go to a private laboratory or clinic, ideally associated with that laboratory. Diagnostics should both precede treatment and complete it a month after the antibacterial course, assessing the effect of the therapy. You can take tests by contacting a urologist, gynecologist or venereologist. Any of these specialists will not only prescribe tests, but also evaluate their results, and will also give clinically competent recommendations for the management of pathology.

The analysis for chlamydia in women is studied by the PCR technique, revealing with high accuracy the presence and concentration of harmful bacteria in the body on the basis of DNA studies of the cells of the biomaterial.

Chlamydia testing in women is an important study... After all, chlamydial infection is not just a disease transmitted through sexual intercourse, but also such an insidious disease that, without special manifestations of symptoms, can cause the development of primary infertility or habitual miscarriage.

Studies carried out by the PCR technique are done in order to diagnose infections, provoking the following viruses, such as mycoplasma, ureaplasma, chlamydia and others. To examine the presence of chlamydia and other infectious diseases, you need to donate blood for tests, smears for bacteriological culture or scraping.

If you take a smear for culture or scraping, then chlamydia, as the most insidious disease transmitted through sexual intercourse, may not be found. After all, atypical bacteria, like chlamydia, multiply and concentrate inside other cells of the body. That is why a disease such as chlamydia (and ureaplasma) is practically not identified in studies within the framework of usual analyzes.

The period of incubation development of chlamydia before the determination of pronounced symptoms lasts up to 3 weeks. It is during this time that the infection has time to integrate into the cell of the body, both in men and women. PCR diagnostics allows you to detect the virus earlier and prevent the spread of such a pathogen as ureaplasma.

When the body is already captured by the disease, the following symptoms appear in men:

this urine is cloudy;
morning discharge from the urethra;
itching and signs of burning when urinating;
a general state of weakness with an increase in body temperature;
discharge with bloody impurities during urination and even such as bloody ejaculation is observed.

Signs of chlamydia in women are:

the presence of an unpleasant odor of the genitals;
yellowish discharge of a mucous composition from the vagina;
itching and unpleasant burning sensation during urination;
weakness of health with a slight increase in temperature.

Pathogens such as chlamydia and ureaplasma are dangerous because they can show mild symptoms to detect, and eventually disappear. The neglected form of activity in the body of pathogens, such as chlamydia and ureaplasma, leads to damage to the internal organs, both in men and women.

Chlamydia analysis - methods for detecting chlamydia for men and women

It is permissible to diagnose chlamydia using a laboratory research method, where biomaterial is taken for work. There are a number of methods for identifying pathogens such as chlamydia and ureaplasma:

(this is a genetic-biological study of polymerase chain reaction methods) reveals with 100% accuracy harmful bodies in biomaterial such as areaplasma, chlamydia and others.
Bacteriological cultural examination is where material is taken for inoculation for cultivation, detection and identification of bacteria (chlamydia, ureaplasma and others) in a special nutrient medium.
ELISA (this is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) must be passed in order to detect antibodies to the identified pathogen.
RIF (immunofluorescence microscopy) is an analysis that must be passed in order to thoroughly identify chlamydia.

Urogenital chlamydia refers to infections of bacterial origin, the transmission mechanism of which is considered to be sexual. PCR analysis for chlamydia reveals their presence in the human body. It should be noted that chlamydiae belong to the group of common infectious agents in humans.

Chlamydia refers to sexually transmitted diseases that are sexually transmitted and pose a significant risk to human health. The cause of chlamydia is considered intracellular microorganisms - chlamydia.

The disease occurs not only in humans, but also in animals. For example, in cats with chlamydia, problems with the eyes, digestive tract and lungs develop. To clarify the diagnosis, it is recommended to take an analysis for research by ELISA or PCR.

In our time, among men and women, the genital form of the disease is most often detected. Chlamydiae have the ability to damage the epithelium of the genital organs, which leads to the formation of complications in the form of diseases of the genitourinary system.

Quite often, the infectious process leads to the appearance of:

inflammation of the urethra;
endocervicitis;
arthritis;
infertility;
pathological processes during bearing a child.

If the causative agent of the disease attacks men, then they may develop:

prostatitis;
cystitis;
atrophy of the prostate;
epididymitis;
proctitis.

Chlamydia treatment should be carried out only by traditional methods with the use of antibacterial drugs, otherwise the effect will not be observed.

As for the detection of the disease in men and women, it is carried out:

cultural method - biological material is taken for nutrient media;
molecular biological technique - PCR;
taking smears for cytological examination;
serological test or ELISA - this method allows you to determine the presence of antibodies in human serum to the causative agent of the disease.

Now we will consider the PCR diagnostic method in more detail.

Sampling technique for PCR analysis

Diagnosis of chlamydia is not an easy task, because the presence of the pathogen cannot be detected during a routine examination or during a smear test for microflora.

In women, a smear on chlamydia using the PCR method is taken from the vagina using specially designed plastic probes. After taking the material, they are placed in a test tube containing a transport medium (pink mucolytic). This tube is sterile and may only be used once.

Please note that when taking the material, you must be quite careful and avoid traumatizing the mucous membrane, because the presence of blood impurities in the material for research is unacceptable.

In men, scraping is performed from the urogenital canal. The head of the penis is wiped with saline, the urethra is massaged and the probe is inserted into the urethra by 1–2 cm. After that, it is placed in a sterile test tube, which is tightly closed.

Research process

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method belongs to a group of diagnostic methods that are distinguished by their speed and high level of reliability.

The analysis for chlamydia by PCR is considered extremely sensitive compared to other diagnostic methods, for example, with an immunofluorescence blood test (ELISA), the results of which are often underestimated due to the subjectivity of the evaluation of the results and the insufficient level of antigen sensitivity. An important point is that the interpretation of the results should only be carried out by a qualified specialist.

The research process consists of:

denaturation - at a temperature of 94 degrees, the double strand of DNA is replaced, which is transformed into a single strand;
annealing;
polymerization - this stage is characterized by the synthesis of new DNA strands.

The reliability of PCR analysis for chlamydia is at a high level, which is explained by the absence of cross-reactions with microorganisms similar in structure.

Please note that the results obtained must be compared with the general condition of the person, therefore only a doctor can carry out the correct assessment of the result.

Preparation rules

Before taking a PCR smear for chlamydia, you need to familiarize yourself with some rules and recommendations. Their implementation will allow you to get the right result.

Important! Sampling is not carried out in women during the menstrual cycle. This is explained by the fact that the presence of blood secretions on the mucous membrane interferes with the sampling of material.

Since specially designed test systems are used to carry out PCR diagnostics of chlamydia, a smear should only be taken if certain conditions are met:

the investigated person should refrain from urinating for three hours before the sampling of the material;
within three days before the upcoming examination, you must exclude alcohol from your diet, refrain from sexual intercourse, do not douche, do not use vaginal suppositories and ointments;
for two weeks prior to the date of examination, the person under study should not take any antibacterial drugs.

Diagnosis of chlamydia is considered a rather important point, because only the delivery of the analysis makes it possible to carry out timely adequate treatment.

The most effective, accurate and fastest is the PCR test for chlamydia. With its help, not only the detection of infectious diseases is carried out, but also the control of treatment. The test can simplify or confirm the results of serological tests.

Interpretation of results

As already noted, only a qualified doctor should decipher the results of the study. The result could be:

negative - indicates the absence of traces of infection () in the test material;
positive - confirmation that the test material contains traces of chlamydial infection.

It must be remembered that the polymerase chain reaction makes it possible to see a qualitative result, not a quantitative one. In some pathological processes, the presence of bacteria is not considered evidence of the presence of a disease.

Summing up, I would like to focus on the fact that when a disease is detected, there is no need to panic and despair - chlamydia is successfully treated, the main thing is to detect the pathology in time and seek help from a doctor.

To eliminate the risk of infection, you need to be attentive to yourself and your health, to undergo regular preventive examinations that will help determine the presence of pathological processes in the body.

Everyone knows what flu is. Everyone more or less knows how to behave if an infection occurs, and what drugs can help. Only a few will be able to tell about what chlamydia is. And even about what symptoms this disease has and how dangerous it is - and even less. Meanwhile, chlamydia is the second most common infectious disease after influenza. If you ignore its manifestations, you can cause serious and even irreparable harm to health.

What is chlamydia and when is it worth getting tested

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by chlamydia - Chlamydia trachomatis ... The infection affects the urethra, rectum, vagina, cervix and even the eyes (with orogenital contact or through household items). In most cases, infection occurs during sexual intercourse, less often in a household way. A vertical mode of transmission of infection (from mother to child), including transplacental, is also likely.

The incubation period lasts about two weeks. At this time, infectious agents are incorporated into healthy cells and begin to multiply actively. Symptoms of infection appear at 2-3 weeks, they are expressed in the discharge from the urethra in men and from the vagina in women, there is pain when urinating. In addition, women feel a pulling pain in the lower abdomen, may experience intermenstrual bleeding.

note
In 50–70% of cases, chlamydia is asymptomatic and is diagnosed only when a couple comes to the doctor with a complaint of inability to conceive a child.

If the symptoms of the disease did not arise or if they were ignored, then the disease becomes chronic. In women, chlamydiae cause inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity, adhesions form in the fallopian tubes, which subsequently become the cause of female infertility. In men, chlamydiae cause inflammation of the epididymis - epididymitis, which threatens infertility and impotence.

An analysis for chlamydia must be passed if the symptoms described above appear, as well as if there has been sexual intercourse, unprotected by a barrier method of contraception, with a person whose health condition is unknown.

What tests to take to determine chlamydia

For analysis, take blood, urine or a smear - it depends on the type of study. What they are and what are the features of each - we will consider further.

Express test
You can buy such a test at a pharmacy and do it yourself at home. The material for the study is urine; in women, a smear is also acceptable. The biomaterial is placed on a cassette and observed - one or two red-violet stripes will appear. The test is based on the detection of lipopolysaccharide antigen (LPS). The accuracy of the express test does not exceed 20%, therefore it is recommended to contact the clinic to obtain a reliable result
Cytoscopic method
For the analysis, a urethral smear is taken from men and a cervical smear from women. The biomaterial is distributed on a glass slide, dried and immersed in methanol or acetone, and then examined under a microscope. Thus, in the smear, they are trying to identify cytoplasmic cells-inclusions of Halbershtedter-Provachek, indicating chlamydia. This method is reliable, but it is effective only for detecting infection in the acute stage. In a chronic form, the disease can proceed without the presence of inclusion cells, which means that it will not be fixed.
ELISA
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay assumes a search for chlamydial antigens (IgG, IgA, IgM) in the venous blood. With the help of ELISA, you can diagnose a disease, identify its causative agent, and also determine at what stage the disease is. The accuracy of the method is 60%. A blood test for chlamydia can be prescribed not only for suspected disease, but also for infertility of unknown origin or during pregnancy, if there is a history of miscarriage.
PCR
The essence of the method is to decipher a small piece of DNA, the analysis of a fragment of which helps to identify chlamydia. The material for the study by the PCR method is a urogenital smear. The advantages of the method are its high sensitivity and accuracy. The infection can be detected not only in the acute stage, but also in the latent or sluggish. The analysis is prescribed for infertility of unknown genesis and in pregnancy with complications. In addition, the study is prescribed to monitor the effectiveness of the course of antibiotic therapy. It should be borne in mind that after a course of chemotherapy, a false-positive test result for chlamydia is possible. In this case, re-examination is required in a different way. Also, the analysis is assigned to persons with tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, HIV-infected.

By the way
In 1993, American scientist Carrie Mullis was awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the PCR method.

Sowing on chlamydia
This method is also called cultural, it is the "gold standard", since it is the most accurate (100% sensitivity) and allows not only to identify the pathogen, but its response to various antibiotics. This is necessary for the appointment of therapy for the disease. Also, bacterial culture is prescribed to patients after undergoing a course of antibiotic therapy - to assess its results. The essence of bakseeding is that the biomaterial is “sown” in a favorable environment and grown. After a few days, the nature and size of the colony determine which infection is present in the material.

So, to date, the most accurate are PCR and bacterial culture. The rest of the methods for diagnosing chlamydia are usually used as an additional method of research to confirm the diagnosis or to question it.

How to prepare and how to donate biomaterial for detection of chlamydia

In order to obtain a reliable result, the biomaterial should be handed over to a medical institution, and subsequent processing and analysis should be carried out in a specialized laboratory.

On the eve of sampling the biomaterial, you should stop drinking alcohol, spicy and fatty foods. For 1-2 days before visiting a doctor, you should refrain from sexual intercourse. You cannot be tested for chlamydia while taking antibiotics.

An hour before donating blood you need to quit smoking. It is important not to get nervous, not to experience emotional overload before the study.

If you want to take a smear , then men are advised not to urinate for 1–2 hours before sampling. Women should take the material on the 5-7th day of the menstrual cycle. In girls, the biomaterial is taken from the mucous membrane of the vestibule of the vagina.

Urine for analysis collected in the morning, an average portion of urine is required. That is, the first drops are lowered into the toilet, and the next ones are collected in a sterile container. The study requires approximately 50 ml of liquid. Before collecting the material, it is worth rinsing the external genitals with warm water, while using soap, gels and other hygiene products is prohibited.

If the patient at the time of the analysis is undergoing a medication course of treatment of any disease, it is imperative to inform the specialist about this.

Interpretation of test results for chlamydia

The results of tests for chlamydia are usually prepared within 1-3 working days, some paid institutions provide an urgent analysis service, then the patient can receive a conclusion within a few hours after taking the material. An exception is bacteriological culture, this study takes several days, usually 5–7.

Linked immunosorbent assay

When analyzing biomaterial for chlamydia by ELISA, the term "titer" is used. The titers of antigens IgG, IgA, IgM are considered. The table below shows the meanings and explanations.

*Stage of the disease*	*IgG titers*	*Titles* *IgA*	*Titles* *IgM*
Sharp	>100–6400	> 50–1600	> 50–3200
Chronic	>100–1600	<50	>50–200
Exacerbation of a chronic illness or reinfection	>100–51200	>50–400	<50
Convalescence	> 100–400	<50	<50

In the body of a healthy person, antigens are not detected. IgM antigens appear 5 days after infection. IgG - after 10 days. IgA - in 2-3 weeks. Borderline values: titers of IgM and IgA - up to 50, IgG - up to 100 - require repeated examination of the patient after 10-14 days.

PCR

It is a qualitative analysis, therefore, the form with the results may say: "found" or "not found".

Sowing

In the laboratory report, the first item will be the name of the infection found in the biomaterial. Further - its concentration, indicated in colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU / ml). One cell gives rise to the growth of a whole colony. The result of over 103 CFU / ml indicates an inflammatory process in the body caused by this pathogen. Also, the result will be a list of antibiotics that fight chlamydia. If the letter "R" stands next to the antibiotic, it means that the bacterium is resistant (resistant) to it, the antibiotic will not work on it. And if there is the letter "S", it means that chlamydia is sensitive to this antibiotic, it can be prescribed as a therapy for the disease.

The clinical picture of chlamydia is characterized by a latent course, absolutely asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic. The disease is dangerous because of complications leading to infertility, miscarriage, and genital lesions. Today, there are several ways to diagnose chlamydia, but none of them gives a 100% answer. If one of the tests is positive, then additional studies are required. Only a specialist can interpret the results and prescribe treatment.

Wednesday, 28.03.2018

Editorial opinion

If you have found a bacterium, your sexual partner should also be examined. Even if nothing seems to bother him. It happens that symptoms of the disease appear only in one partner, while the other continues to feel good. But the asymptomatic course of the disease does not reduce the risk of complications. It makes no sense for one partner to be treated - in this case, the disease will constantly "wander" from one to another and can lead to serious consequences.