title: Cerebrospinal fluid findings in asymptomatic patients with reactive serum fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption tests.
abstract: It is common to examine the cerebrospinal fluid in untreated or inadequately treated asymptomatic patients with a reactive serum fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test before initiating antibiotic therapy for syphilis. This prospective study evaluated the usefulness of such examination. Four hundred thirty-two patients over 40 years old, reporting for annual physical examination, had a serum FTA-ABS test. Thirty-seven (8.6%) patients and 2 of 4 spouses were reactive repeatedly. Of the 39 patients with reactive tests, 7 had a history of penicillin therapy for syphilis, 5 had received heavy metal therapy, and 27 had no history of syphilis. These 39 patients had a neurological examination, serum VDRL, Treponema pallidum immobilization (TPI), and repeat FTA-ABS tests by two other laboratories. The TPI test was reactive in 30 (77%). Four had nonspecific neurological signs. Routine CSF examination (cells, total protein, VDRL, glucose, IgG%) on 30 patients with a history of inadequate treatment had a low diagnostic yield. Two patients had an unexplained total protein elevation (57 and 61 mg/dl) and 1 had a mildly increased IgG% (15%). All cell counts, VDRL tests, and glucose levels were normal. Agarose electrophoresis demonstrated one or more CSF immunoglobulin bands in 10 (36%) of 28 patients, possibly representing an immunological marker of past or latent central nervous system infection.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D013592:Syphilis, Latent / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D007136:Immunoglobulins