[Immunofluorescence for the rapid diagnosis and complex study of various acute and chronic respiratory infections]

Direct and indirect immunofluorescence techniques were used to investigate the presence of some viral, chlamydial, Rickettsia and Mycoplasma antigens in the exfoliated nasal and pharyngeal epithelial cells from 156 patients with acute or chronic respiratory infections. Positive results were found in 98 (62.82%) of them, parainfluenza (36.88%) and herpes (23.3%) antigens, being the most frequent. Herpes, parainfluenza and adenoviral antigens were found the most frequently among patients with pharyngitis (76 cases). Parainfluenza, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia and Rickettsia burneti antigens had the highest prevalence among the patients with rhinitis (34 cases). The presence of a single antigen was detected only in 36 patients (36.73%), two or more antigens being found simultaneously in other 62 cases (63.27%). The results demonstrate the utility and efficiency of the immunofluorescence techniques for the rapid etiological diagnosis of acute or chronic respiratory infections.