title: False-positive seroreactions for syphilis as a harbinger of disease revisited.
abstract: A cohort of 59 initially healthy subjects with chronic false-positive seroreactions for syphilis was followed for 3 to 19 years (mean 13 years) by data linkage to computerized population registry and to national hospital discharge registry using a unique personal identification number. One subject had moved abroad, but all others were known to be alive at the end of the follow-up period. Four subjects developed systemic lupus erythematosus and two developed rheumatoid arthritis. One subject was admitted to hospital because of protracted substernal pain, but a myocardial infarction could not be verified. This case corresponds to the expected number of cardiovascular events in the cohort. A chronic false positive seroreaction for syphilis was calculated to represent a hundred-fold risk for the development of systemic lupus, but such seroreactions did not seem to predict an excess of cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koskenvuo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leikola
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Palosuo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vaarala
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis*