The diagnostic value of serological and molecular genetic methods in detection of German measles disease

: The early diagnostic of German measles infection, especially in cases requiring differential diagnostic search, the most informative and usable in practice test-systems are needed to be applied. The sampling of patients (n = 37) included males aged from 15 to 21 year (average age - 18 years) were admitted to hospital on 1-3 day from onset of disease. The technique of polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription was applied to detect presence of viral RNA in nasopharyngital smear. The presence of viral RNA was confirmed in 26 examined patients (70%). The serological markers of onset of disease at the moment of first examination had 24 (65%) out of 37 patients. It is demonstrated that technique of polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription has the most diagnostic value in confirmation of diagnosis of German measles infection at the first days of disease. In the sequel, the informativeness of methods of serological diagnostic will increase because complex application of methods of IgM and polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription are needed at different periods of disease.