An Improved FTA Test for Syphilis, the Absorption Procedure (FTA-ABS)

Hunter, Elizabeth F.; Deacon, Wilbur E.; Meyer, P

doi:10.2307/4592145

Cited by 200 publications

(71 citation statements)

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“…The first comprised 1,646 drug addicts consecutively admitted to the National Institute of Mental Health Clinical Research Center at Lexington, Kentucky. Sera from all were tested with a VDRL slide test and if reactive or weakly reactive further tested by the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) method (Hunter, Deacon, and Meyer, 1964 Tables III to VI. Among the twelve BFP reactors (Table III) only two had nonreactive VDRL tests. These same two were the only sera reactive in but one reagin test, the RPR card.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological false positive serological tests for syphilis among drug addicts.

Kaufman¹,

Weiss²,

Moore³

et al. 1974

Sexually Transmitted Infections

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological false positive serological tests for syphilis among drug addicts.

Kaufman¹,

Weiss²,

Moore³

et al. 1974

Sexually Transmitted Infections

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“…Within a decade of its discovery, the TPI test was replaced by the more sensitive fluorescent treponemal antibody (FTA) test (80), later refined by an absorption step to the FTA-ABS test (149). These tests use anti-human Ig labeled with fluorescein to detect antibodies bound to T. pallidum organisms on slides.…”

Section: Antibodies In Diagnostic Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Basis for Syphilis

2006

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SUMMARY Syphilis is a chronic sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum. Clinical manifestations separate the disease into stages; late stages of disease are now uncommon compared to the preantibiotic era. T. pallidum has an unusually small genome and lacks genes that encode many metabolic functions and classical virulence factors. The organism is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions and has not been continuously cultivated in vitro. Nonetheless, T. pallidum is highly infectious and survives for decades in the untreated host. Early syphilis lesions result from the host's immune response to the treponemes. Bacterial clearance and resolution of early lesions results from a delayed hypersensitivity response, although some organisms escape to cause persistent infection. One factor contributing to T. pallidum's chronicity is the paucity of integral outer membrane proteins, rendering intact organisms virtually invisible to the immune system. Antigenic variation of TprK, a putative surface-exposed protein, is likely to contribute to immune evasion. T. pallidum remains exquisitely sensitive to penicillin, but macrolide resistance has recently been identified in a number of geographic regions. The development of a syphilis vaccine, thus far elusive, would have a significant positive impact on global health.

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“…TT assays can detect either IgM or IgG antibodies, depending upon the specific assay kit. Most diagnostic laboratories utilize the T. pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), the T. pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA), and/or the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption assay (FTA-ABS) (25,26). More recently, Western blotting (WB) and the line immunoassay (LIA) have been added to the portfolio of treponemal tests.…”

Section: Serologic Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Trends in the Serologic Diagnosis of Syphilis

Morshed

Singh

2014

Clin. Vaccine Immunol.

163

156

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bComplexities in the diagnosis of syphilis continue to challenge clinicians. While direct tests (e.g., microscopy or PCR) are helpful in early syphilis, the mainstay of diagnosis remains serologic tests. The traditional algorithm using a nontreponemal test (NTT) followed by a treponemal test (TT) remains the standard in many parts of the world. More recently, the ability to automate the TT has led to the increasingly widespread use of reverse algorithms using treponemal enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). Rapid, point-of-care TTs are in widespread use in developing countries because of low cost, ease of use, and reasonable performance. However, none of the current diagnostic algorithms are able to distinguish current from previously treated infections. In addition, the reversal of traditional syphilis algorithms has led to uncertainty in the clinical management of patients. The interpretation of syphilis tests is further complicated by the lack of a reliable gold standard for syphilis diagnostics, and the newer tests can result in false-positive reactions similar to those seen with older tests. Little progress has been made in the area of serologic diagnostics for congenital syphilis, which requires assessment of maternal treatment and serologic response as well as clinical and laboratory investigation of the neonate for appropriate management. The diagnosis of neurosyphilis continues to require the collection of cerebrospinal fluid for a combination of NTT and TT, and, while newer treponemal EIAs look promising, more studies are needed to confirm their utility. This article reviews current tests and discusses current controversies in syphilis diagnosis, with a focus on serologic tests.

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An Improved FTA Test for Syphilis, the Absorption Procedure (FTA-ABS)

Cited by 200 publications

References 5 publications

Biological false positive serological tests for syphilis among drug addicts.

Biological false positive serological tests for syphilis among drug addicts.

Biological Basis for Syphilis

Recent Trends in the Serologic Diagnosis of Syphilis

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