Mycoplasma how to take an analysis. How do the analysis for mycoplasma in women and men. polymerase chain reaction method

Mycoplasmosis is a urogenital infection. It may not manifest itself for years, but under adverse conditions it can cause great damage to health. The Polyclinic + 1 Medical Center conducts an accurate diagnosis of mycoplasmosis, which allows you to prescribe an effective treatment.

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In the course of research, we identify all three types of pathogens of this disease:

Mycoplasma hominis;
Mycoplasma genitalium;
Mycoplasma species.

Mycobacteria are dangerous because they cause vaginitis, endometritis and adnexitis in women, and in men - orchitis and prostatitis. In addition, both sexes suffer from urethritis.

Running mycoplasmosis threatens:

male and female infertility,
impotence;
autoimmune diseases.

Pregnant women may have miscarriages and premature births.

Types of tests for mycoplasma

The clinic on Tretyakovskaya conducts research using various methods. At the initial consultation, our venereologists come to the conclusion which method is suitable for a particular patient.

The sampling of biomaterial for analysis for mycoplasma in women is taken from the urethra, vagina, cervix. It is advisable to do this a few days before menstruation or a day or two after it ends.

A smear for the analysis of mycoplasma hominis in men is taken from the urethra, and a few hours before this, you can not urinate, and one day you need to give up sexual intercourse. Sometimes they examine the secret of the prostate, urine or semen.

Mycoplasma detection by PCR

Polymerase chain reaction is a type of diagnostic that allows you to identify the pathogen, even if its concentration is low. The advantages of such a study are also the speed and reliability of the result.

The essence of the method lies in the fact that the genetic material of the infectious agent is multiplied many times, after which it is identified. Diagnostics is done in two dimensions:

qualitative (there is an infection or not);
quantitative (number of pathogens per volume unit).

If there are discrepancies with the norm of mycoplasma in a smear in women and men, this will be immediately detected.

Examining the material with a fluorescent microscope

Mycobacteria cannot be seen with a conventional microscope, so a special instrument is used. The biomaterial is stained with chemicals and illuminated with ultraviolet light. If such a reagent falls on mycoplasma, it gives a luminescent green glow.

culture for mycoplasma

The biomaterial is placed in a test tube, where conditions are created for the growth of bacteria. The process is observed in dynamics, after which conclusions are drawn about the nature of the pathology.

In the course of this study, we also determine the resistance of mycobacteria to antibiotics. This allows you to find the most effective drugs that are guaranteed to cope with the pathogen.

Blood for antibodies to mycoplasma

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay determines whether the body is able to resist infection. The doctor can find out how long the disease lasts, whether it is acute or chronic, whether the internal organs are affected, and so on.

Why is it better to take an analysis for mycoplasmosis with us?

"Polyclinic + 1" has the ability to conduct research using various methods. Thanks to this, you do not have to look for other medical institutions to make an analysis that is optimal in your case.

A blood test for mycoplasmosis is taken by well-trained laboratory assistants. The procedure is performed under sterile conditions, and discomfort and pain are minimized. The same applies to the sampling of biological material. High professionalism is a distinctive feature of our medical center.

Venereologists V. A. Malashenko and R. A. Huseynov study the results and draw up an individual treatment regimen. We work seven days a week, so you can sign up any day of the week from 9 am to 9 pm.

It will never be superfluous to take an analysis for mycoplasma. It is recommended to do it not only for suspected mycoplasmosis, but also for the purpose of prevention. Especially often, couples planning to have a pregnancy take tests for mycoplasma. Many people mistakenly think that only women should be tested when planning a pregnancy. In fact, men also make sure to do a test and go through a full-fledged treatment with their soul mate. This approach allows you to get a positive result.

In the normal state, mycoplasma does not pose a threat.

Mycoplasma is a conditionally pathogenic microorganism that, when exposed to provoking factors, begins to actively multiply. This leads to an excess of the established norm of the concentration of mycoplasma in the human body. As a result, mycoplasmosis is diagnosed, which is often accompanied by inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system and the addition of other infectious diseases.

That is, in the normal state, mycoplasma does not pose a threat. Only under certain negative influences does mycoplasma become pathogenic. That is why mycoplasma is classified as an opportunistic pathogen.

Although pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant are more likely to be tested for mycoplasma, anyone can be tested for mycoplasma for one reason or another. The fact is that mycoplasma can provoke various diseases of the genitourinary system and respiratory tract. For example, mycoplasma pneumonia provokes inflammation of the lungs and other diseases, accompanying the patient with nonspecific signs. That is, without analysis, it is impossible to understand what exactly happened and what is the cause of the disease. Doctors often mistakenly prescribe the wrong treatment, because they did not conduct tests to detect mycoplasmosis.

In the same way, it is recommended to take tests for mycoplasma genitalium, which can lead to serious problems with the genitourinary system. These microorganisms are potentially dangerous for pregnant women and the child who is carrying them, and can also lead to infertility in men.

What does all of this mean? This means that the test for mycoplasmosis is the recommended test to prevent serious enough diseases and lead to undesirable consequences for men's, women's and children's health.

But what kind of tests should be done? There are several types of tests designed specifically to detect mycoplasma and mycoplasmosis:

bacanalysis;
serological examination;
immunofluorescence;
gene probing, etc.

In fact, among them, three are considered the most informative and accurate:

bacteriological research.

Backanalysis

A bakanaliza or culture tank for the study of mycoplasma is designed to detect the cause of an infectious disease and determine the number of pathogens. The calculation is made for 1 ml of liquid.

If the detected amount is less than 10,000 units, then this result is considered a low titer. Anything above the specified unit is a sign of inflammatory processes and the acute course of an infectious disease.

With the help of bakposev, the significance and types of other microorganisms, viruses and infections that can inhabit the human microflora are determined. They can proceed in parallel with mycoplasma, provoking various complications.

In total, sowing on mycoplasma allows you to answer several important questions:

what is the concentration of mycoplasma microorganisms in the body;
whether there are concomitant infectious, viral or bacterial diseases;
how resistant is mycoplasma to various antibiotics;
how the mycoplasma of a particular patient will react to various antibacterial agents.

All this helps to find the best ways to solve the problem, that is, to prescribe an adequate and highly effective treatment.

A smear for mycoplasma in women is taken from:

cervix;
urethra;
vagina.

For men, bacterial tests are also performed, but in their cases, samples are required from:

urethra;
prostate;
urine;
sperm.

It is important to consider that the analysis will give the most accurate result if you do not take antibiotics first, and do not go to the toilet for 2-3 hours immediately before the tests.

During the period of menstruation, smears are not taken, so you will have to wait about a week after the cycle ends.

If the specialist takes the samples correctly, the results of the analyzes will be accurate and of high quality. Inexperienced specialists do not scrape off the mucous membrane well, therefore they fail to collect enough material. As a result, the analysis turns out to be wrong and does not show the real picture of what is happening.

PCR

With mycoplasmosis, the PCR test is considered one of the most effective. With its help, the genetic material of ureaplasma is detected in the samples taken.

An important advantage of the polymerase chain reaction is that when passing the test for mycoplasma, it is impossible to confuse this microorganism with any other. The analysis requires not blood, but a scraping taken from the patient's genitourinary system. Often we are talking about scraping the birth canal of women.

By handing over PCR for mycoplasma, you guarantee yourself an accurate and detailed result. Alas, many alternative research methods cannot boast of such efficiency. The only drawback of PCR is the rather high cost of analysis. Plus, not every clinic has the appropriate equipment and facilities for conducting PCR tests.

However, if you take a PCR test, it will allow you to:

detect mycoplasma even in low concentration;
confirm the diagnosis of mycoplasmosis;
identify the asymptomatic course of mycoplasmosis, which occurs quite often;
detect a latent form of mycoplasmosis;
identify chronic mycoplasmosis;
identify mycoplasmosis during the incubation period of the disease, when there are no manifestations.

At the same time, the PCR test is considered a rapid test, since the patient receives the results in 1-2 days. This already depends on the medical institution, the workload of the laboratories and the direct attitude of the medical staff to their duties.

With PCR, you should be careful, because in some cases the patient receives a false result. There are several reasons for this.

The patient was treated with antibiotics before testing for mycoplasma. If it was earlier than a month before the test, the result may be false;
PCR study cannot determine whether cells are living or not;
The peculiarity of PCR analysis is that it reveals the presence of microorganisms. The cells may already be dead, but the test will show their presence;
When taking blood or a smear for PCR, the established rules were not followed, the samples were incorrectly moved or did not comply with the diagnostic standards.

If everything is done correctly, then the accuracy of the results reaches 100% in some cases.

ELISA

ELISA or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays help detect antibodies igg, A and M. Immunoglobulins are special substances that our body produces to fight microorganisms.

The presence of igg antibodies in the blood or their absence helps to find out at what stage mycoplasmosis is. The igg analysis may indicate a chronic or acute form of mycoplasmosis.

For example, antibodies A are produced by the body if the mycoplasma has recently become active. But igg antibodies indicate that once your body has already coped with mycoplasma or it is a carrier. So igg antibodies provide important data.

The accuracy of the test is 80%.

Although PCR analysis is classified as high accuracy, ELISA and culture are also important in the study of mycoplasma. It is necessary to take a blood test for mycoplasma if you are planning a pregnancy or there are suspicions of mycoplasmosis.

Mycoplasmosis is a disease that, when developed, can cause serious complications in the body. Therefore, the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease should serve as a reason for conducting research on the presence of the pathogen in the body. To identify and promptly begin treatment of mycoplasma, tests should be carried out as early as possible. The causative agent of the disease is quite dangerous, especially during pregnancy, so it is necessary to consult a doctor if its signs are detected.

Features of the disease

The disease is caused by a microorganism belonging to the class Mycoplasma, which is located on the mucous membranes of the genital organs, and in some cases in the respiratory tract. A feature of this pathogen is that it can be asymptomatic in the human body for a long time, that is, without any manifestations.

The progression of the disease is usually noted after serious gynecological diseases in women, as well as with a significant decrease in the protective functions of the body. It is worth noting that mycoplasmosis often occurs against the background of such diseases of the reproductive system as trichomoniasis, gonorrhea and herpes.

Infection in the vast majority of cases occurs sexually, but penetration of the pathogen is also possible in a domestic way - through personal hygiene products. Therefore, for preventive purposes, you should strictly observe hygiene and use only your personal hygiene items. Also, infection can occur in utero - and this microorganism is extremely dangerous for the fetus.

The onset of the disease is usually accompanied by mild symptoms, which is why patients do not immediately pay attention to them. The development of mycoplasmosis and the aggravation of the manifestation of its signs occur several weeks after infection. The main symptoms of the disease include:

In women, clear vaginal discharge (scanty or very abundant);
Discharge (clear) from the urethral canal in men;
Aching pain in the lower abdomen;
Discomfort when urinating (burning, itching);
Pain during intercourse.

In men, mycoplasmosis can also affect the prostate gland, in which case signs of prostatitis begin to appear.

Mycoplasma often causes respiratory and urogenital diseases, since this pathogen is one of the most aggressive among all intracellular organisms. That is why, at the slightest suspicion of this ailment, tests are urgently done that can confirm its presence.

Types of pathogens of mycoplasmosis

Disease-causing pathogens are microscopic organisms capable of causing infectious and inflammatory processes in the body of men, women, and even children. An analysis for mycoplasmosis can detect different types of mycoplasmas:

Pneumonia (Mycoplasma pneumoniae);
Hominis (Mycoplasma hominis);
Mycoplasma Genitalium (Mycoplasma genitalium);
Urealitikum (Ureaplasma urealyticum).

Of these microorganisms, only the first can cause respiratory diseases, while the rest are the cause of diseases of the genitourinary tract.

Indications for analysis

It is mandatory to diagnose mycoplasmosis in the following cases:

When planning pregnancy (both spouses);
Before the IVF protocol;
Before surgery in the pelvic organs;
If there is a history of miscarriages, miscarriage;
If the causative agent of the disease is found in the sexual partner;
Infertility of unknown origin;
Frequent manifestations of candidiasis;
With inflammatory processes in the urethra or vagina for unknown reasons;
The appearance of symptoms of mycoplasmosis.

It is especially important to test for mycoplasma in women during pregnancy, as this infection can lead to miscarriage.

Since the symptoms of mycoplasmosis do not manifest themselves immediately, research will help to detect the disease in a timely manner in order to begin treatment.

What analyzes are carried out?

To detect mycoplasmosis, diagnostics is needed, which is carried out by several methods. Three types of studies are widely used today:

Bacteriological;
Polymerase chain reaction method;
Enzyme immunoassay (ELISA).

There are other methods, but they are much less effective, so experts have abandoned their use.

Bacteriological method

Otherwise, it is called cultural. This method is considered the most accurate study to detect the causative agent of mycoplasmosis in the body. It is carried out by growing microorganisms from the biological material of the patient in special environments in the laboratory.

"The seeding tank allows not only to detect mycoplasma, but also to find out the number of microorganisms in a milliliter of the biological material under study."

Another advantage of this analysis is the ability to check how microorganisms react to various antibiotics to find the optimal treatment for the disease.

Read also related

Mycoplasma in men - causes, signs and treatment

A significant disadvantage of such a study is its duration - sowing on mycoplasma can take up to two weeks to obtain a result. But the reliability of the obtained indicators will be very high. To detect these microoranisms in domestic medicine, they use special tests that can detect Mycoplasma hominis and ureaplasma. But not all types of the pathogen can be detected as a result of bacteriological research. Mycoplasma genitalium is not detected with bakposev, as it grows too slowly (it may take up to 5 months from the moment the smear is taken to obtain reliable results).

Biological material for research in men is obtained from the first portion of urine or by taking a smear from the urethra. Women donate morning urine, vaginal scrapings, or cervical swabs. If the presence of mycoplasma causing respiratory disease is suspected, sputum is collected for analysis.

The result will be most accurate if there are no foreign impurities in the smear or urine, so the biological material in men is collected no earlier than 3 hours after urination, and in women a couple of days before or after the end of menstruation. Also, an important condition for the reliability of the results is the absence of treatment with any kind of antibiotics in the last month before donating biological material.

Serological studies

Enzyme immunoassay is also a common way to determine the presence of mycoplasma in the body. Such a study is based on the detection of special antibodies in the blood - IgA.

Detection of antibodies to mycoplasma in the blood is possible almost immediately after infection. And after complete recovery, they are also present in the results of the ELISA, but their quantitative indicators in this case do not exceed the norm. It is recommended to analyze twice to accurately detect the disease, since it takes about 10 days to produce IgA immunoglobulins from the moment the pathogen enters the human body. An increase in the titer of IgM and IgG indicates the presence of an infectious process that requires treatment.

The presence of IgM in the results of a blood test indicates an acute course of infection, and the detection of IgG indicates that the body has previously met with this microorganism. If both titers are present, they speak of an exacerbation of the chronic process. So, when analyzing for mycoplasma hominis, IgG titers indicate that at the moment there is no acute course of the disease.

It is important that the results of the study are correctly deciphered according to the reference values (the norm and deviations from it). Negative results can indicate both the absence of mycoplasma in the blood, and a recent infection (less than 10 days), when antibodies have not yet developed (which is why it is necessary to take the test again). A doubtful result indicates a sluggish infection or a disease that has a chronic form. Positive numbers indicate the presence of a current infection at the moment. Upon receipt of a positive result, experts also recommend undergoing the PCR method or passing the seeding tank.

Blood sampling for analysis does not require special preparation from the patient. Blood is donated in the morning on an empty stomach, and the results of the study will be ready in about 1.5 hours.

But the effectiveness of such a study is somewhat reduced due to the peculiarity of the interaction of mycoplasmas with the human body. This pathogen can interact with a human cell, which helps them evade the immune response. Because of this, healthy patients may have IgA antibodies that indicate the presence of the disease, and those who have an infection sometimes do not respond to the presence of the microorganism in the blood. That is why this method is used less frequently than a smear for mycoplasma.

ELISA is usually used for infertility and recurrent miscarriage, some types of complications after childbirth, if the blood test for chlamydia, Trichomonas, gonococci and other negative. In such cases, the study is most revealing.

polymerase chain reaction method

This type of study is the most effective, as it allows you to detect mycoplasma DNA in a patient. The PCR method gives positive results much more often than other methods, allowing you to start treatment in a timely manner. An important feature of this method is that it detects mycoplasma genitalia - this is the only way to detect the presence of such a microorganism.

polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) mycoplasma - an analysis that allows the doctor in some cases to accurately establish the diagnosis and select adequate therapy.

When is PCR analysis of mycoplasma needed? What is the essence of the study and how to prepare for it?

Who needs a PCR test for mycoplasma

It is not always necessary to search for mycoplasma by PCR.

Doctors usually prescribe this type of diagnosis in the following cases:

during the diagnostic search, the presence of the vagina, cervix was established, but the cause could not be reliably determined;
a woman regularly visits a gynecologist with a complaint of vaginosis of bacterial origin;
in one of the sexual partners, the analysis revealed mycoplasma genitalium;
there was a replacement of a partner, but at the same time there were unprotected sexual contacts with the old sexual partner;
the couple is planning a pregnancy in the near future (in this case, both partners are examined for prevention);
a woman suffers from a high probability of abortion or the gestation process is accompanied by urethritis, pyelonephritis, vaginitis, cervicitis;
in some cases, a preventive analysis is prescribed before invasive interventions in the body or diagnostic manipulations on organs located in the small pelvis (for example, before curettage of the uterine cavity or hysteroscopy);
any member of the couple has been diagnosed with infertility, but its cause has not yet been established;
the fair sex developed habitual miscarriage (miscarriage occurred two or more times in a row) or the baby was born already dead;
other infectious pathologies were diagnosed, which can be transmitted sexually (, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, etc.).

PCR for mycoplasma: the essence of the study

Initially, PCR was a research technique that was used only in molecular biology. Using this method, it was possible to increase even a small content of certain DNA fragments in a sample to the values necessary for the experiment or study. PCR has found its application in medicine. Today it is used to establish the presence in the body in viral, bacterial and hereditary diseases.

Most often, with the help of this reaction, the presence in the body of the DNA of the mycoplasma genitalium, which is considered more dangerous than, is determined. However, the reaction can also be successfully used to determine the latter.

PCR is a diagnostic method that allows you to determine the presence of a pathogen in the body, even if its concentration is minimal. This can be achieved precisely by multiplying the number of DNA fragments, which are then analyzed. With the help of PCR, mycoplasma DNA can be detected even if the infection itself is hidden, without pronounced symptoms. At the same time, the likelihood of confusing this infection with any other, which, for example, has similar symptoms, is minimized.

Real-time PCR for mycoplasma

In some modern laboratories, quantitative analysis of PCR for mycoplasma, or, as it is also called, real-time PCR assessment, is now carried out. With the help of this study, you can not only unambiguously say whether there is a pathogen in the body, but also accurately determine its amount. If real-time PCR shows the presence of mycoplasma in the patient's body, the number of pathogens is estimated.

There are two decryption options in this case:

the number exceeds the norm - it is highly likely that mycoplasma is the cause of the symptoms with which the patient went to the doctor;
the amount does not exceed the norm - the probability that the microorganism provoked the disease is reduced to almost zero, provided that there were no significant failures in the body's immune system.

Unfortunately, today the diagnosis of mycoplasma quantitatively with PCR is not available in all laboratories, and the price for analysis can be quite high. In this regard, inoculation is much more often used in practice, rather than PCR with real-time quantification.