What is a thymol test? An important test for detecting early hepatitis is the thymol test.

Biochemical blood tests are used to diagnose many diseases. The thymol test is one of the indicators that is examined during this analysis. It shows the liver’s ability to synthesize protein compounds. However, deviations from the norm do not always indicate liver pathology. There are many reasons why the thymol test values change. Let's look at what a thymol test is in a biochemical blood test.

Thymol test - what is it?

Thymol test is an indicator that shows the ratio of proteins (albumin and globulins) in human blood. With its help, you can easily identify a violation of this balance, which always accompanies the pathological process occurring in the liver.

This sample has been used in medicine since 1944. To carry it out, you need the patient’s blood plasma and a special reagent – an alcohol mixture of thymol. In a verolan test tube, physiological solution, thymol mixture and plasma are combined. In this case, the degree of turbidity of the contents of the tube is assessed. Normally, the turbidity of the resulting solution is weakly expressed, and in the presence of a certain pathology, it becomes white with a large number of flakes (sediment).

The degree of turbidity of the mixture is assessed with an electric photocolorimeter. The unit of measurement is "maclagan". It is named after the scientist who invented the thymol test.

Normal thymol test in the blood of women, men and children

In the absence of pathology associated with a violation of the concentration of protein formations in the blood, the thymol test does not go beyond the norm, that is, it does not exceed them. It should be noted that the normal limits are the same for all people and do not depend on the gender and age of the patient.

Slight turbidity of the solution during the test corresponds to values from 0 to 4-5 Maclagan units. These values are considered negative, that is, the ratio of proteins in the blood is not disturbed.

If the test result exceeds 5 units, then the test is considered positive and there is a disease of the liver and other internal organs, occurring in acute or chronic form. When receiving such an analysis result, it is necessary to undergo additional examination in order to identify the cause of dysproteinemia, that is, an imbalance of proteins in the human body.

It should be noted that women may experience a false positive result. That is, the sample is positive (more than 5 units), but there are no pathologies. This is possible when a representative of the fair sex takes hormonal oral contraceptives for a long time. Therefore, the doctor must clarify this point before referring the patient for laboratory testing.

Interpretation of the analysis for thymol test

It should be remembered that in the laboratory only the calculation of indicators is carried out. The attending physician evaluates the results obtained. At the same time, he must take into account factors that can affect the result:

Patient weight;
Age;
Previous illnesses;
The use of certain groups of drugs that can have a certain effect on the liver and its parameters.

If the result is negative, then the patient is healthy. If deviations from the norm are noted, the doctor must find out the etiological factors of this condition.

What to consider when assessing a positive result:

In young children, it is necessary to take into account the medical history, since a high result may be a consequence of recent hepatitis A. In this case, using this test, you can easily monitor the degree and speed of restoration of liver function. Over time, the indicators decrease and then normalize;
In an adult, this indicator may be the first sign of severe liver pathology. The test becomes positive even before the appearance of pathological symptoms, which makes it possible to identify the disease at an early stage;
If the norm is slightly exceeded, it is necessary to find out whether the result is false positive (violation of the preparation and technique of blood sampling). If necessary, a repeat study is prescribed.

It is important to know that with the development of obstructive jaundice without inflammatory phenomena, the thymol test remains negative.

Reasons for increased levels of thymol test

An increase in values is observed when protein ratios in the blood are disturbed. At the same time, the level of albumin decreases, but globulin, on the contrary, increases. Also, paraglobulins are found in the blood of a sick person, which are not found in the body of a healthy person.

Reasons why the thymol test is elevated:

Liver pathology: hepatitis, cirrhosis, tumors of various nature;
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by dyspeptic disorders (in other words, diarrhea): pancreatitis, enteritis;
Kidney diseases in which albumin is excreted in the urine in large quantities: pyelonephritis, glamerulonephritis;
Systemic rheumatic diseases;
Malignant tumors of various localizations;
Poor nutrition, which is characterized by a lack of nutrients.

Positive test

First of all, it is necessary to undergo a full examination and, after identifying the cause, begin treatment of the disease. Etiological treatment will depend on the pathology and is aimed at restoring the functions of the affected organ. In severe cases (in the presence of malignant neoplasms), surgical treatment is indicated.

In addition to drug treatment, diet is of great importance. In this case, experts recommend:

Reduce the consumption of fats of animal and plant origin;
Completely avoid fatty, fried, salty and canned foods;
Confectionery products, sour berries and fruits, tomatoes, meat and fish broths are excluded from the diet;
Preference is given to slimy soups and porridges with water; vegetables are best consumed boiled, stewed or baked, lean boiled meat and steamed cutlets;
Limit salt intake;
Coffee, strong tea and alcohol are excluded.

Analysis for thymol test

A biochemical blood test is prescribed if there is a suspicion of:

Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
Renal dysfunction;
Tumors;
Diseases of the joints and blood vessels;
In young children with long-term persistent neonatal jaundice.

Also, a thymol test is performed during and after treatment to assess its effectiveness.

To ensure the reliability of the result, it is necessary to properly prepare for donating blood:

A few days before the test, stop eating fatty and fried foods;
On the eve of the study, have a light dinner no later than 20:00;
On the day of blood collection, you should not eat or drink anything other than water. The study is carried out on an empty stomach in the morning.

To carry out the test, it is necessary to take venous blood, which is mixed with reagents. This mixture is examined after 30 minutes using a photocolorimeter. The patient can receive the result the very next day after donating blood.

The thymol test is a very important diagnostic method that can be used to identify some dangerous diseases. This analysis is also known as the Maclagan test and thymolovernal analysis. It cannot be said that this diagnostic method is extremely popular. It is not prescribed as a main test, but if the patient is suspected of having certain ailments, the information obtained using the thymol test can be very useful.

Diagnosis using thymol test

The analysis is quite old and has been used in medicine for a very long time. However, to this day this diagnostic method is relevant and is often used to confirm suspicions of a certain disease.

The thymol test is rarely prescribed as the main diagnosis. The thing is that the information that this method can provide is not enough to accurately make a diagnosis. Nevertheless, in controversial situations, it is the thymol test indicators that make it possible to determine the exact causes of the disease. Therefore, this test is now widely used in laboratory diagnostics.

Experts highly value this method when it comes to diagnosis that concerns the liver. For example, a thymol test is very often prescribed to children with suspected hepatitis A and other liver-related ailments. This method allows you to identify a problem at the earliest stage of its development, even when other analyzes do not show any suspicious data.

LDL cholesterol

Advantages of the method

If a patient consults a specialist with certain symptoms that may suggest liver pathology, the doctor should prescribe a thymol test. Very often it is used as a complement to the analysis of bilirubin and enzymes. This will make it possible to determine the condition of the liver, on the health of which many processes in the human body depend.

It is worth noting that the liver is a special organ. Often, it is possible to diagnose problems in this area only at the stage when the disease reaches a high level of development, and treatment will be long and problematic. Considering all the difficulties in diagnosing liver diseases, the thymol test is especially highly valued. The thing is that this laboratory test allows you to see the problem even where other tests do not show anything suspicious. That is, standard tests will show the norm, and the thymol test will creep up. This is a clear sign that the patient has serious liver pathology.

The thymol test can be very useful in confirming liver disease. But this diagnostic method can be used not only for this organ. For example, the McLagan test is used to determine pathologies of the heart, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. To diagnose the condition of internal organs, the thymol test is very important. It is often used, since this method has a huge number of advantages.

First of all, it is worth highlighting the speed of research. There is no need to wait several days to obtain clear laboratory results of the material provided by the patient. Moreover, the cost of the analysis is quite low, and no special equipment is needed to carry it out. In order to obtain thymol test data, it is necessary to use a magnetic stirrer in a fume hood. Any laboratory, even the most ordinary clinic, has everything necessary to carry out such a diagnostic procedure and obtain an interpretation of the results.

A huge advantage of the thymol test is that it shows the presence of a problem even where other methods are wrong. This is very important, since most diseases that can be determined using this analysis require timely treatment. If the pathology is identified at an early stage of development, it can be eliminated without any complications.

Sometimes the thymol test is used to determine the patient’s condition during treatment. This makes it possible to determine the effectiveness of drugs and, if necessary, replace them with more effective analogues.

Considering the considerable number of advantages of this method, the thymol test is widely used nowadays, despite the fact that the number of new diagnoses is constantly growing. A worthy replacement for the McLagan test has not yet been found.

Aspartate aminotransferase is elevated, what does this mean?

What is the essence of the analysis?

This method allows you to determine the imbalance in the protein ratio in the human body. In some diseases, there is a change in the physicochemical properties of blood protein. The thymol test makes it possible to determine such deviations even at an early stage of the development of the problem. This type of analysis is considered highly sensitive, therefore it always shows the result with 100% accuracy. If the patient has hepatitis, laboratory testing will definitely show this. But the thymol test also has one important advantage, which is that this method allows you to determine the problem even in the pre-icteric period. This makes it possible to start treatment on time and eliminate the pathology without complications.

When decoding the indicators, Shank-Hoaland (S-H) and Maclagan units are used, which are simply written on the form like the letter M. The norm is usually from 0 to 4 units, but in some laboratories it is considered normal and 5M.

There are no significant differences in performance among representatives of different sexes. However, the thymol test data may be influenced by some additional factors. For example, representatives of the fair sex who take oral contraceptives often experience elevated thymol levels. This phenomenon cannot be excluded due to the fact that hormonal contraceptives have a strong effect on the liver and some other internal organs, and also change the protein ratio in the blood. This will definitely affect the performance of the thymol test.

As for the McLagan method for children, the indicators do not change. They will be similar to what is considered normal for adult patients. For children, the thymol test sometimes plays a very important role. When many schoolchildren begin to get sick with hepatitis A, this method will be most relevant, as it will allow you to see changes in the body at the very beginning. That is, long before visible signs of the disease appear, treatment can begin.

What diseases can cause an increase in the rate?

There are several reasons that can lead to an increase in Maclagan test scores. Taking hormonal drugs is the most harmless factor. Most often, after stopping the pills, the test returns to normal.

But basically, tests of this type are prescribed when certain diseases are suspected. The parameters of the thymol test can be changed by:

infectious and viral hepatitis;
malignant and benign neoplasms;
severe intoxication, including alcohol;
liver cirrhosis and fatty hepatosis.

Such a diagnostic method will be relevant if a specialist needs to determine the degree of alcohol damage to the liver and other organs. A thymol test can be prescribed if intoxication with various poisons, metals and drugs is suspected.

A laboratory test of this type makes it possible to see problems not only in the liver, but this organ is the main one when prescribing the McLagan test. However, in some cases, it is the thymol test that makes it possible to confirm severe kidney damage, such as amyloidosis and pyelonephritis. These diseases are characterized by increased protein levels, so the sample will be increased.

This diagnostic method will also be useful for determining pancreatitis and some other gastrointestinal pathologies, for example, enteritis, which is accompanied by severe diarrhea.

Often, a thymol test is included in a set of tests to determine the nature of the tumor. In addition, this method is used in the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid polyarthritis and dermatomyositis. Septic endocarditis, myeloma and malaria also show higher than normal numbers.

But you cannot use the data from the thymol test as the main information when making a diagnosis. In combination with other methods, McLagan’s method will be useful, but its indicators must be confirmed. In some cases, the test may show results above normal even without any disease. Taking hormonal drugs is the most common reason that changes the test results. But these numbers can also be affected by fatty foods. If it is present in the patient's diet in excessive quantities, the level of bad cholesterol in the blood increases, and this causes an imbalance in protein balance. This situation should be considered as a signal. The patient must undergo additional examinations, and then work on his diet, since excess cholesterol threatens dangerous atherosclerosis.

Thymol test in children and adults

In order to submit material for further analysis, you must visit the laboratory in the morning. 7-8 hours before donating blood, you should not eat or drink. Before going to the clinic, you should not even drink tea or coffee. Only a glass of water is allowed. It is advisable to follow all the rules, as the result may depend on this. There should not be any serious deviations, but still, for those who want to get the most accurate data, it is worth abstaining from food and water for 8 hours before taking the test.

The same amount of blood is taken from patients of any age. Then the resulting material is mixed with the necessary solutions and left for 30 minutes. After this, the laboratory worker determines the degree of turbidity of the liquid. The obtained data is entered into an analysis form and then transferred to the patient or his attending physician.

In men, women and children, up to 5 Maclagan units is considered normal. If this indicator is exceeded, it means that a pathological process is occurring in the patient’s body.

This method makes it possible to identify the disease even at the earliest stage of its development. This is especially important for newborn babies. Often, in the youngest patients, abnormalities in liver function are determined in this way. Functional disorders in the functioning of this organ can cause delays in the development of the entire organism, so timely treatment in this case plays a very important role.

The thymol test is not prescribed to every newborn. The reason for taking material for further protein research may be yellowness of the skin, vomiting and nausea. In addition, dark brown urine will indicate liver problems. In childhood, specialists most often diagnose hepatitis A and E. These diseases can have a negative impact on the further development of the child, so they must be treated efficiently. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the higher the likelihood that everything will pass without complications.

The thymol test plays an important role in the diagnosis of many diseases, but it brings the greatest benefit to liver diseases.

And a little about secrets...

To correctly assess the condition and functioning of internal organ systems, doctors recommend a biochemical blood test. Most often, one has to resort to his help if there is a suspicion of pathology of the kidneys, liver, or as a result of a violation of salt metabolism.

One of the biochemical test options is the thymol test. It allows you to determine the ability of the liver to synthesize protein compounds.

Brief description

To understand what kind of analysis this is, you need to understand its essence. The main part of the proteins in the blood is formed in the liver elements. They are responsible for many variable tasks:

active participation in the regulation of blood clotting;
maintaining oncotic pressure and ensuring the volume of the main body fluid;
save ;
transportation to tissues of certain categories of elements (for example, cholesterol).

Blood serum has a varied composition. However, only 5 protein fractions are considered important components. These are various globulins.

Under the influence of certain factors, their number may decrease or increase. For example, against the background of liver dysfunction or poor nutrition, the number decreases sharply. An increase in globulins occurs in pathologies of connective tissue, infectious processes of various etiologies, and some oncological diseases.

The thymol test is usually understood as a special biochemical study. It allows you to obtain information about the liver’s ability to carry out complete synthesis of protein fractions.

The analysis helps to assess serious disturbances in the functioning of the body even before the initial signs of any illness appear.

The principle of laboratory research is reduced to the precipitation of whey proteins. If cloudiness of the substance is observed, the test result is said to be positive. The degree of change in the appearance of the material is determined by the photocolorimetric method, and is expressed in the so-called Maclagan units (M units).

The physicochemical characteristics of this analysis remain poorly understood. However, scientists claim that during the reaction, complex complexes of phospholipids and globulins, thymol, and cholesterol are possible.

How to donate blood correctly

It is recommended to carry out a blood test in the morning. Approximately 8 hours before the intended procedure, it is better to follow a fasting diet. You are allowed to drink only regular still water. You should not drink strong coffee or tea or juices in large quantities.

Advantages of thymol test

When it comes to the liver, every person understands the importance of this organ. Without its help, it is impossible to imagine the full functioning of the body. Therefore, it is so important to periodically undergo preventive examinations and blood tests. It is the thymol test that is most often the main indicator of the quality of liver functioning.

Other advantages of this analysis include the following:

does not require the use of expensive or complex equipment, material costs are insignificant;
characterized by simplicity of execution;
allows you to identify many ailments at an early stage, avoid complications and even death;
can be used as a kind of indicator of ongoing therapy.

Modern medicine offers a wide range of different diagnostic tests. Among all the diversity, a special place belongs to the thymol sample. It is one of the main tests that detect pathological liver disorders.

Standard indicators

The initial decoding of the sample is quite simple:

If the analysis column contains 0-5 units, it should be considered negative. Such indicators indicate that there are no serious violations in the composition of the serum.
When the result is more than 5 units, the test is considered positive. The norm for men, women and children is the same.

Decoding test results

As a rule, deciphering a sample does not cause any particular difficulties for qualified physicians. If the protein component of the serum is not accompanied by any serious changes, the result is said to be negative. In this case, the sample indicator should be less than 5 units.

A positive answer often indicates developing hepatitis. It is noteworthy that through this analysis it is possible to diagnose this serious illness even before its primary manifestations occur. A positive test is also possible when bilirubin and aminotransferases remain within the normal range.

The thymol test norm in children may be exceeded if they were previously diagnosed with hepatitis A. Group B pathology is rarely accompanied by an increase in the indicator relative to the norms accepted in medicine.

A positive test sometimes indicates that the young patient has already had hepatitis before. In this case, the test is considered a kind of beacon of the dynamics of normalization of liver function.

If obstructive jaundice progresses in an adult, the responses to the thymol test are most often negative. However, if complications occur in the form of parenchymal inflammation, the results may change.

When assessing a sample test, a specialist should not forget that standard indicators are determined by the following parameters: the patient’s age, his approximate weight, time of diagnosis. When interpreting the test, you also need to take into account that its parameters may be affected by some pharmaceuticals.

Despite the possible errors, the thymol test is even today considered one of the most informative studies. You have to resort to his help quite often. The thing is that it allows you to diagnose liver disorders at the initial stages and select competent therapy.

Exceeding standard indicators

An increase in indicators usually indicates developed dysproteinemia. This condition is characterized by a change in the structure of the serum at the protein level. At the same time, its qualitative characteristics are affected. These elements are expressed in 5 factions. Each of them differs in both chemical and physical properties.

Albumin belongs to the category of the lightest fraction. It is characterized by the ability to maintain a stable state of the so-called colloid blood system. Globulins are slightly larger in mass and tend to precipitate.

A change in equilibrium in the colloidal system and the tendency of proteins toward inevitable coagulation can be caused by such disorders as:

Reduction in the number of albumins.
Increased concentration of alpha globulins.
The presence of paraglobulins in the blood (they should be absent in a healthy person).

The listed pathologies can be identified precisely through the thymol test. The primary organ in which increased protein production usually occurs is the liver.

If there are significant malfunctions in its functioning, a change in blood characteristics is observed, and the thymol test shows an excess of certain parameters.

On the other hand, a positive test response is possible with extensive skin burns. Exceeding the globulin fraction is also diagnosed in infectious processes, autoimmune disorders and rheumatoid disorders.

Probable diseases

Several years ago, the main reasons for an increase in thymol test were considered solely from the point of view of liver dysfunction. Today, the opinions of scientists have changed dramatically. Now experts identify a number of diseases, the development of which accompanies the state of dysproteinemia.

Among them, the following are especially worth noting:

Kidney dysfunction, characterized by loss of albumin protein through urine.
Liver pathologies that manifest themselves as cirrhosis, hepatitis or neoplasms.
Systemic rheumatoid diseases.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract system.
The presence of neoplasms of malignant etiology.

The thymol test is sometimes elevated due to poor nutrition. As a rule, this problem is diagnosed in women. Abuse of excessively fatty foods can lead to changes in indicators. This is why it is important to consider other blood testing options during a diagnostic examination.

Common diseases of young patients

If a child’s thymol test is elevated, what does this mean? As a rule, such a result indicates the development of liver dysfunction.

At a young age, the presence of such diseases is extremely undesirable, since they can affect the functioning of the entire body in the future. In children, they are manifested not only by decreased immunity, but also by delayed mental development.

Today, the following liver diseases are most often detected in young patients:

Jaundice of newborns. It appears within a few hours after the baby is born. This pathology is characterized by yellow discoloration of the skin. Its development is due to the fact that by the time of birth the child’s liver has not had time to fully form. Therefore, she is not yet ready to perform all functions. Doctors call bilirubin among the main causes of the disease. It is formed against the background of the destruction of old red blood cells. If this pigment begins to accumulate in the baby’s body, the skin acquires the corresponding color. If the disease is diagnosed in a timely manner, it can be eliminated without serious consequences within 7-10 days.
Hepatitis groups A and E. Diseases of these types in young patients cause persistent disturbances in the functioning of the main systems of internal organs.

What are the signs to suspect a problem:

First of all, the child begins to feel sick. Sometimes vomiting does not stop for several hours.
Then painful sensations appear in the liver area.
The stool turns white, and the urine becomes dark.

If these symptoms appear, you should immediately seek medical help.

After a comprehensive examination, the doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis. Only after this is treatment prescribed. Treatment of various forms of hepatitis is carried out exclusively at home.

It is extremely important to isolate a sick child from his peers. The main sign of recovery is a good blood test and absence of pain.

It is considered one of the main research methods that allows you to determine the functional state of various organs and tissues. The results obtained on its basis enable the specialist to confirm the diagnosis, prescribe effective treatment, and also adjust the course of therapy.

The thymol test in children and its norm is a biochemical study that provides information about the liver’s ability to synthesize proteins. However, the level of proteins in a child’s body can change not only with the progression of various liver pathologies, but also with other pathological conditions.

The thymol test is a biochemical test that makes it possible to assess the synthesizing ability of the child’s liver.

It is this organ that is the site of production of large amounts of plasma proteins, which perform vital functions in the body of children:

Maintains correct oncotic blood pressure
Affect
Maintains blood pH at the required level
Participate in the transfer of certain types of compounds to organs and tissues

Modern medicine identifies 5 types of proteins that may be present in the body of children. It is the thymol test that is able to determine their ratio and thus identify different species at the earliest stages even before the manifestation of its characteristic signs.

Such a laboratory test is based on the precipitation of serum proteins and when it becomes cloudy, we can talk about a positive result.

To conduct the study, blood is drawn early in the morning. To obtain accurate and reliable results of the procedure, you must be 8-10 hours before the test from eating. If your child gets thirsty, you can give him some water, but avoid drinking tea or juices.

Explanation: normal

In most cases, interpretation of the results does not cause any difficulties for specialists. Usually, in the absence of any changes in the protein composition of blood serum in a child’s body, a negative result is said, and the indicator is no more than 5 units.

Most often, positive results of the thymol test are used to identify, however, such a result may accompany other diseases. The thymol test makes it possible to diagnose hepatitis at a stage when no manifestations are observed and indicators such as bilirubin and aminotransferases do not exceed normal limits.

The normal thymol test in children always shows a positive result in the situation if they develop in their body. If hepatitis B progresses in a child’s body, the levels usually do not exceed the established standards. A positive thymol test may indicate that the child has already suffered hepatitis and, based on these results, the dynamics of liver recovery can be predicted.

In any case, to confirm the diagnosis, specialists additionally conduct a serological test.

A characteristic pattern is the fact that in most cases, when obstructive jaundice is present in the body of an adult, the results are negative. Only with the development of complications in the form of parenchymal inflammation of the liver do the results become positive.

More information about the biochemical blood test can be found in the video.

When assessing the obtained indicators, the specialist should not forget that the thymol test rate is determined by the following criteria:

Patient age category
Time of the study

When interpreting the results of the study, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the results of the analysis can be influenced by hepatotoxic pharmacological agents.

Despite these deviations and the presence of other more effective research methods, the thymol test is still widely used in medical practice. This is due to the fact that it is precisely this analysis that makes it possible to identify liver diseases in the early stages of development and begin their effective treatment.

Elevated thymol test

When a positive result of the thymol test is detected in children, they speak of a state of dysproteinemia, which is accompanied by a violation of the qualitative and quantitative composition of serum proteins. Their school biology knows that serum proteins are expressed in several fractions, which differ from each other in their physicochemical properties.

Albumins are a lighter fraction that can maintain a stable state of the entire colloidal blood system. Components such as globulins and lipoproteins are distinguished by their high molecular weight and tendency to settle.

Violation of colloidal stability and the tendency of proteins to coagulate develops in the following cases:

Reduced albumin levels
Increased concentration of globulins
The presence in the blood of components such as paraglobulins, which should normally be absent

It is precisely such pathological conditions in the blood serum that can be detected using a thymol test. The main organ in which active protein production is observed is the liver. It is for this reason that in various liver disorders a change in the protein composition is observed and the result of this is a positive result of the thymol test.

As various kidney pathologies progress in the body, large amounts of albumides are excreted in the child’s urine, which sharply reduces their content.

In addition, the removal of a large amount of these components is observed when the child has extensive burns.

An increased fraction of globulins is a common occurrence in conditions such as:

Rheumatoid
Autoimmune
Infectious pathologies

Possible diseases

More recently, the positive results of the test were assessed as one of the signs of the pathological condition of the liver of a child’s body.

However, today views on this situation have changed and this is due to the fact that there are a large number that are accompanied by dysproteinemia.

A significant excess of standard indicators can be recorded in the following cases:

A pathological condition of the liver, which can be expressed in the form of various types, cirrhosis of the liver, the appearance of malignant neoplasms on this organ and problems with its functioning.
Kidney diseases, which are accompanied by a significant loss of the protein albimin in the urine.
It is a genetic fact, that is, problems with protein metabolism can be inherited.
Diagnosis of pathological conditions such as systemic rheumatoid pathologies.
The progression of various diseases of the digestive system in the body of children, and this is especially evident in pathologies such as pancreatitis and enteritis.
Formation of malignant tumors with various foci of localization.

In some cases, an increased result of the thymol test can be observed when consuming large amounts of fatty foods. It is for this reason that when assessing the results obtained, it is important to pay attention to other biochemical tests.

Often, elevated levels of thymol test in childhood indicate the progression of various types of liver diseases. For children, such pathologies are extremely undesirable, because they can provoke the development of various types of functional disorders.

The progression of liver diseases in the body can lead to both a decrease in the protective functions of the body and delays in psychophysical development.

Today, the following liver pathologies are most often diagnosed in childhood:

Already a few days after birth, the baby’s skin may turn yellow and the cause of this phenomenon is neonatal jaundice. It indicates that the child’s liver did not have time to develop at the time of his birth. The main culprit of this pathological condition is bilirubin, which is formed as a result of the destruction of old cells. When this pigment accumulates in the body, the child's skin turns yellow. Most often, this pathological condition develops a few days after the birth of the child and goes away after 7-10 days.
Most often, types of hepatitis such as A and E are diagnosed in children's bodies, which cause various disorders.

The main symptoms of such diseases are:

Attacks of nausea and vomiting
The appearance of pain in the liver area
Dyeing white
Dark brown urine

Hepatitis A and E is carried out at home with complete isolation of the child from others. The main indicator of recovery is the complete disappearance of signs of pathology and normal laboratory tests.

Today, the thymol test is one of those research methods that allows us to identify the pathological condition of the liver in children at the earliest stages of its development.

It is for this reason that it is the main analysis that is prescribed for various types of diseases in childhood. Liver diseases pose a serious danger to a child’s body, and therefore require mandatory treatment and monitoring by a specialist.

Thymol test(thymoloveronal test, Maclagan test) is one of the sedimentary or coagulation tests designed to detect changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition of blood serum proteins in various diseases.

The thymol test was developed by M. F. Maclagan in 1944. The test is based on the precipitation of serum proteins by adding a saturated solution of thymol in veronal buffer. If the test result is positive, the test serum becomes turbid. The degree of turbidity is determined by the photocolorometric method. The result of the thymol test is usually expressed in Maclagan units (M units).

The physicochemical essence of the thymol test has not been fully elucidated. It is known that as a result of the reaction, a complex complex is formed consisting of globulins, phospholipids, cholesterol and thymol.

In addition to the thymol sample, a considerable number of other sediment samples have been proposed at different times. Among them are the sublimate test, the Takata, Gross tests, cadmium, formol, zinc sulfate, cephalin-cholesterol tests, the Weibrodt, Veltmann reactions, etc. With the exception of the currently used sublimate test in some places, for clinical practice they all have only historical significance.

Normal thymol test.

The interpretation or decoding of the thymol test is quite simple:

A negative test means that there are no disturbances in the protein composition of the blood serum, a positive test means that there are such disturbances.

What does a positive thymol test mean?

Massive molecules of blood proteins are maintained in suspension due to the electromagnetic field on their surface

In general, a positive result of the thymol test is characteristic of the state of dysproteinemia - a violation of the qualitative and quantitative composition of blood serum proteins.

As is known, blood serum proteins are represented by several fractions that differ in their physicochemical properties. Albumin is a lighter fraction that ensures the stability of the entire colloidal blood system. On the contrary, globulins and lipoproteins have a high molecular weight and are prone to sedimentation.

A decrease in the amount of albumin, or an increase in the amount of globulins, or the appearance of so-called paraglobulins in the blood, which should not normally be present - all this inevitably leads to a violation of colloidal stability and to the tendency of proteins to coagulate, that is, to their sticking together and sedimentation. It is this phenomenon that is demonstrated by the thymol test.

The liver plays a leading role in the production of blood proteins. It is natural, therefore, that the unhealthy state of this organ is usually accompanied by a violation of the harmony of the protein composition of the blood, and, accordingly, a positive result of the thymol test.

Kidney diseases can be accompanied by the excretion of large amounts of albumin in the urine, which leads to a lack of albumin in the blood. The loss of large amounts of albumin is also characteristic of extensive burns.

An increase in the γ-globulin fraction is a common occurrence in rheumatoid, autoimmune and infectious diseases.

The balance of protein fractions can also be disturbed by the appearance in the blood of so-called paraglobulins, produced in myeloma, some malignant neoplasms, and hereditary disorders of protein metabolism.

The colloidal balance of blood serum can also change due to heavy consumption of fatty foods.

For what diseases is the thymol test positive?

Liver diseases:
- acute viral hepatitis
- toxic, alcoholic and drug-induced hepatitis
- hepatitis in infectious diseases - leptospirosis, brucellosis, mononucleosis, etc.
- autoimmune hepatitis
- liver cirrhosis
- acute yellow fatty liver atrophy
- long-term obstruction of bile outflow in obstructive jaundice
- functional liver disorders due to uncontrolled use of steroid drugs and contraceptives
- liver tumors, etc.
Kidney diseases accompanied by loss of albumin in urine:
- glomerulonephritis
- pyelonephritis with nephrotic syndrome
- renal amyloidosis
Systemic rheumatoid diseases:
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- rheumatoid polyarthritis
- periarteritis nodosa
- dermatomyositis, etc.
Digestive system diseases:
- pancreatitis
- enteritis with severe diarrhea
Acute viral infections
Malaria
Myeloma
Hereditary disorders of protein metabolism - cryoglobulinemia, macroglobulinemia, etc.
Malignant neoplasms

It is not possible to list within the framework of this article all diseases that can give a positive thymol test. However, this does not need to be done, since most of these diseases are extremely rare.

Thymol test and hepatitis.

With all the variety of diseases accompanied by a positive thymol test, the latter is most useful for the early diagnosis of hepatitis - inflammatory diseases of the liver tissue of viral, toxic, etc. origin.

The high sensitivity of the thymol test makes it possible to suspect hepatitis at an early stage when the level even remains normal. And in any case, long before the appearance of jaundice.

After suffering from viral hepatitis, the thymol test remains positive for a long time - six months or even a year. During this period, it is also indispensable for monitoring the dynamics of restoration of liver function.

Diagnostic value of thymol test.

A thymol test confirms or denies the fact of a violation of the qualitative or quantitative composition of blood proteins, and also gives some idea of the severity of these changes. But it does not answer the question: “What are these violations?” And even more so, it does not itself provide information about the causes of such violations. The idea that existed in previous years of the thymol test as a reaction highly specific for liver pathology turned out to be untenable.

In this regard, a positive thymol test detected for the first time can only serve as a preliminary indicator of changes in the protein composition of the blood. In relation to liver diseases, the result of this test should be interpreted with some caution. We should not forget that liver pathology is the most common, but not the only reason for a positive thymol test. In any case, the thymol test indicator should be considered in conjunction with other studies:, etc.

To study disorders of the protein composition of the blood in our time, there are more advanced methods: electrophoresis and immunological tests.

Nevertheless, due to its simplicity, the thymol test is still widely used in medical practice.