A Study of Complement Fixation in Syphilis With Spirochæta Culture Antigens

Immobilization of Treponema Pallidum in Vitro by Antibody Produced in Syphilitic Infection

“…Since it is now agreed that T. pallidura has not as yet been cultivated and is therefore not available in adequate amounts for the usual in vitro immunological studies, various cultivatable, non-pathogenic spirochetes have been used in agglutination and complement-fixation tests (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25) with sera from syphilitic animals and human beings. However, a considerable proportion of presumably normal sera has been found to react with these antigens, though usually in low titre.…”

On the Presence in Syphilitic Serum of Antibodies to Spirochetes, Their Relation to So Called Wassermann Reagin, and Their Significance for the Serodiagnosis of Syphilis

“…Thus, syphilitic serum has been reported to agglutinate suspensions of cultured spirochetes in higher titres than do normal sera (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)34). Similarly, several investigators have reported that syphilitic human sera give complement fixation with suspensions or extracts of cultured spirochetes (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Gaehtgens in particular has developed a sensitive and specific diagnostic complement fixation test in which a phenolized culture of the Reiter strain of Treponema pallidum is used as antigen (19,33).…”

“…8* In the tables, the titre in each instance is expressed as the highest dilution of serum giving a definitely positive result. The double numbers (e.g.,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] signify that the serum gave a positive result in a 1:6 dilution, and a doubtful result in a 1 : 12 dilution. t Not done.…”