[Emergency laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria]. / Ekstrennaia laboratornaia diagnostika difterii.

The immune response to diphtheria toxin (clinically pronounced infection or carrier state with the presence of toxigenic bacteria) or toxoid (vaccination) the blood has been found to contain lymphocytes (1.00-5.71%), specifically binding diphtheria toxoid (DTX). The method for the determination of lymphocytes, specifically binding DTX, may serve both for early diagnosis and in the process of the disease, irrespective of the injection of therapeutic serum to the patient. The result of the test is obtained 2-3 days earlier than the positive result of the bacteriological analysis. The set of immune reagents for the rapid diagnosis of diphtheria by the method of rosette formation has been developed.