Clinical Microbiology Newsletter
Volume 32, Issue 8 , Pages 59-64 , 15 April 2010

Changing Algorithms in Syphilis Laboratory Diagnosis

  • Susanne Norris Zanto, CLS(NCA) SM(NRCM) (Deputy Laboratory Director)

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationMailing address: Susanne Norris Zanto, CLS(NCA) SM(NRCM), Deputy Laboratory Director, Montana DPHHS Laboratory Services Bureau, PO Box 4369, Helena, MT 59604–4369. Tel.: 406-444-2839. Fax: 406-444-1802
    • ,
  • Syphilis workgroup member, APHL/CDC Expert Consultation for Development of Guidelines Chair, APHL/CDC STD Steering Committee

References 

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  . The national plan to eliminate syphilis from the United States . Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2006;
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  . Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2008 . Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2009;
  3. Heffelfinger JD , et al.   Trends in primary and secondary syphilis among men who have sex with men in the United States . Am. J. Public Health . 2007;97:1076–1083
  4. Fleming DT , Wasserheit JN . From epidemiological synergy to public health policy and practice: the contribution of other sexually transmitted diseases to sexual transmission of HIV infection . Sex. Transm. Infect. . 1999;75:3–17
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  . Primary and secondary syphilis—Jefferson County, Alabama, 2002–2007 . MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. . 2009;58:463–467
  6. Ballard, R. 2009. Adult serology. Presented at the Guidelines for the laboratory identification of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea, and Treponema pallidum infections expert panel meeting, 13 January 2009, Atlanta, GA.
  7. Association for Public Health Laboratories  . Laboratory diagnostic testing for treponema pallidum expert consultation meeting summary report, 13–15 January 2009 . http://www.aphl.org/aphlprograms/infectious/std/Documents/LaboratoryGuidelinesTreponemapallidumMeetingReport.pdf 2009;
  8. Larsen SA , et al.   Laboratory diagnosis and interpretation of tests for syphilis . Clin. Microbiol. Rev. . 1995;8:1–21
  9. Pope V . Use of treponemal tests to screen for syphilis . Infect. Med. . 2004;8:399–404
  10. Vecchio TJ . Predictive value of a single diagnostic test in unselected populations . N. Engl. J. Med. . 1966;274:1171–1173
  11. Dicker L , et al.   Laboratory tests used in U.S. Public Health Laboratories for sexually transmitted diseases . Sex. Transm. Dis. . 2000;31:259–264
  12. Marangoni A , et al.   Laboratory diagnosis of syphilis with automated immunoassays . J. Clin. Lab. Anal. . 2009;23:1–6
  13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  . Syphilis testing algorithms using treponemal tests for initial screening—four laboratories, New York City, 2005–2006 . MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. . 2008;57:872–875
  14. Workowski KA , Berman SM . Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006 . MMWR Recomm. Rep. . 2006;55(RR–11):1–94
  15. Baker-Zander SA , et al.   Antigens of Treponema pallidum recognized by IgG and IgM antibodies during syphilis in humans . J. Infect. Dis. . 1985;151:264–272
  16. Moskophidis M , Muller F . Molecular analysis of immunoglobulins M and G immune response to protein antigens of Treponema pallidum in human syphilis . Infect. Immun. . 1984;43:127–132
  17. Young H , et al.   Enzyme immunoassay for anti-treponemal IgG: screening or confirmatory test? . J. Clin. Pathol. . 1992;45:37–41
  18. Egglestone SI , Turner AJ . Serological diagnosis of syphilis. PHLS Syphilis Serology Working Group . Commun. Dis. Public Health . 2000;3:158–162
  19. Schmidt BL , et al.   Comparative evaluation of nine different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for determination of antibodies against Treponema pallidum in patients with primary syphilis . J. Clin. Microbiol. . 2000;38:1279–1282
  20. Sambri V , et al.   Western immunoblotting with five Treponema pallidum recombinant antigens for serologic diagnosis of syphilis . Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. . 2001;8:534–539
  21. Sambri V , et al.   Evaluation of recomWell Treponema, a novel recombinant antigen-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of syphilis . Clin. Microbiol. Infect. . 2001;7:200–205
  22. Romanowski B , et al.   Serologic response to treatment of infectious syphilis . Ann. Intern. Med. . 1991;114:1005–1009

PII: S0196-4399(10)00015-2

doi: 10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2010.03.006

Clinical Microbiology Newsletter
Volume 32, Issue 8 , Pages 59-64 , 15 April 2010

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