The hemagglutination test is based on the agglutination of red blood cells with hemagglutinin, and the hemagglutination inhibition test is based on the antigen-antibody reaction.
The hemagglutination test verifies the presence of a virus by utilizing the principle that the hemagglutinin expressed by viruses such as influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and enteroviruses binds to the surface of red blood cells, thereby causing the red blood cells to coagulate. It is a non-serologic reaction that involves the binding of a receptor to a ligand.
The hemagglutination inhibition test utilizes an antigen-antibody binding reaction by adding an antibody specific to the virus to the sample, which causes the virus to lose its ability to selectively bind to red blood cells, thereby inhibiting hemagglutination. This test can also be used to identify virus types and subtypes.
Consult your physician for details on how to perform this test.