To assess associations of nonulcerative sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-susceptible leukocytes on female genital mucosa, cervicovaginal specimens from 32 HIV-negative STD clinic patients with gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, or trichomoniasis were compared with specimens from 32 clinic patients without these infections. Twenty-eight patients had single infections (15 gonorrhea, 10 chlamydial infection, 3 trichomoniasis), and 4 had dual infections. A saline vaginal wash and saline suspensions of vaginal wall scrapings, ectocervical scrapings, and endocervical brushings were analyzed by flow cytometry. Specimens from the endocervix had the highest proportions of lymphocytes, monocytes, and Langerhans' cells. The median number of endocervical CD4 lymphocytes/10,000 cells was greater among patients with STDs than among those without (476 vs. 245; P < .001). These data suggest that the endocervix may have a particularly important role in heterosexual HIV transmission and that nonulcerative STDs may facilitate HIV transmission by increasing the presence of CD4 lymphocytes at this site.
Patients from five clinics in North and South Carolina who had lesions suggestive of primary or secondary syphilis were evaluated using molecular techniques that allow the differentiation of Treponema pallidum strains on the basis of two variable genes, tpr and arp. Lesion samples were screened for the presence of T. pallidum DNA using PCR for polA, which represents a segment of the polymerase I gene that is unique to the spirochete. Twenty-seven of 154 lesion samples were found to contain T. pallidum, 23 of which had typeable DNA. Seven molecular subtypes were found (10f, 12f, 13f, 14f, 14g, 15f, and 16f); one to four subtypes were identified at each clinic. Subtype 14f was found in 52% of the typeable specimens and was distributed in four of the five clinics. Subtype 16f was found in 22% of specimens and was concentrated at one clinic. Further data are needed to define the role of this technique in examining the epidemiology of syphilis.
Whole-cell sonicates of Treponema pallidum, Nichols strain, were evaluated in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for syphilis, and results were read in a Dynatek Microelisa Reader. The antigen was evaluated with sera from patients with syphilis, persons presumed normal, and biological false-positives. Two hundred and ninety-seven sera were tested by the ELISA with T. pallidum antigens, the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) slide test, the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) test, and the microhemagglutination assay for T. pallidum antibodies (MHA-TP). The results of all of the tests were compared. The ELISA, with 89.3% sensitivity, was less sensitive than the VDRL (93.3%) and FTA-Abs (100.0%) tests but more sensitive than the MHA-TP (76.0%). The ELISA was considerably more sensitive in primary syphilis than ttie MHA-TP. Specificity was as follows: ELISA, 98.5%; FTA-Abs test, 97.8%; MHA-TP, 98.2%; and VDRL test, 92.7%. The ELISA has good potential as a confirmatory test in the serodiagnosis of syphilis.
The prevalence of syphilis seroreactivity was low (0.71%) in the general US population of 18- to 49-year-olds. However, consistent with surveillance data, this nationally representative survey showed substantial disparities in syphilis by race/ethnicity.
The MHA-TP may be less sensitive than the FTA-ABS for identifying patients with primary syphilis. Treponemal specific tests may become nonreactive during the first year after therapy for early syphilis.
Two hybrid cell lines which produced mouse monoclonal antibody to the DAL-1 street strain of Treponema pallidum subsp. paUlidum were established. These monoclonal antibodies strongly reacted with T. paUlidum subsp. paUlidum (Nichols strain, DAL-1, and two other street strains, strains MN-1 and MN-3) and T. paUlidum subsp. pertenue by indirect microimmunofluorescent antibody and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques, but they did not react with normal rabbit testicular tissue. These monoclonal antibodies did not react with nonpathogenic treponemes, such as T. phagedenis Reiter, T. denticola MRB, T. refringens Noguchi, or other spirochetes, such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona in microimmunofluorescent antibody smear slides or in Western blots (immunoblots). While unlabeled antibodies are useful for investigating the antigenic structures of T. pallidum, we labeled these monoclonal antibodies with fluorescein isothiocyanate and used them for diagnosing syphilis by direct staining of lesion exudate or T. paUidum subsp. paUlidum in formalin-fixed tissues from patients suspected of having syphilis. Both monoclonal antibodies were directed against antigens of T. pallidum subsp. pallidum with a molecular weight of 37,000 as determined by the Western blotting technique.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.