Hemagglutination tests for syphilis antibody.
In a study of serodiagnosis of syphilis, the authors compared the specificities and sensitivities of two hemagglutination tests, a sheep-erythrocyte test (MHA-TP) and a trukey-erythrocyte test (TPHA), with those of the Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption (FTA-ABS) test. In tests of sera from 935 patients without syphilis, the MHA-TP, TPHA, and FTA-ABS tests were reactive for 0.96, 0, and 1.3% respectively. The false-positive results were usually transient and not associated with underlying illness. For the 68 patients with syphilis, the MHA-TP test was as sensitive as the FTA-ABS test in all stages except untreated primary disease. The TPHA test appeared to be undersensitive, and testing of follow-up sera from persons with latent syphilis showed unexplained conversion of false-negative TPHA results to reactive results. Reproducibilities of the two hemagglutination tests were comparable. The MHA-TP test is a valuable confirmatory test for syphilis. Further study is needed before the use of the TPHA test can be recommended.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D014209:Treponema Immobilization Test; D014422:Turkeys / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies