Abstract

QUATTORDIO, Laura Elena; MILANI, Pedro Luis  and  MILANI, Héctor Luis. Serological diagnosis of syphilis: correlation of results according to available techniques in the laboratory. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2004, vol.38, n.3, pp.301-306. ISSN 0325-2957.

In the present study, 117 serum samples with exclusive request of FTA-Abs (fluorescent treponemal antibody absortion) were tested with the aim of establishing a correlation of the obtained results according to the following techniques: VDRL, indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) and enzime immunoassay with recombinant antigens (ELISA rec), available in the laboratory for serological diagnosis of syphilis. 51% of the samples had positive results with the three methods respectively, 36% negative results with the three methods, 10% showed reactive VDRL with negative ELISA and FTA-Abs and the remaining 3% non reactive VDRL with positive ELISA and FTA-Abs. A 100% concordance between the results obtained by ELISA and FTA-Abs, either positive or negative was found, while the incidence of false results for the reagin test VDRL was established in 10% of false positive results with titers mostly non higher than 1/8. Consequently a second treponemal test is highly important to confirm the results, especially in those cases in which the data obtained by VDRL and FTA-Abs, traditionally used in the laboratory as diagnostic tests of syphilis, were discordant.

Keywords : Syphilis; Reagin test; Treponemal test.

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