title: Significance of false positive syphilis reactions and anticardiolipin antibodies in a nationwide series of pregnant women.
abstract: The highly sensitive rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination tests were used to determine the frequency of false positive syphilis reactions in a nationwide series of pregnant women in Finland. The frequency found was 14/10,000. Two cases of systemic lupus and 2 of undefined connective tissue disease were found during a 20-month period among 134 false positive reactors in a series of 110,000 separate pregnancies. The risk of subsequent fetal loss among false positive syphilis reactors was 7%, similar to the risk in RPR negative controls. Half of the sera in the highest RPR titer groups and 1/3 in the lowest titer groups had elevated levels of anticardiolipin antibodies in solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. This assay did not increase the risk of clinical disease or subsequent fetal loss above the risk of RPR test alone.
authors.affiliation: National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koskela
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vaarala
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mäkitalo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Palosuo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D002308:Cardiolipins