Evaluation of the rapid plasma reagin "teardrop" card test for screening of syphilis in field conditions.
OBJECTIVE
The availability of simple diagnostic methods may contribute to more efficient control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in developing countries. For the detection of syphilis, a simple rapid plasma reagin (RPR) "teardrop" assay for finger-prick blood samples was developed in 1962. The reliability of this test is compared with RPR, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) assays performed on venous blood samples.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the potential usefulness of the finger-stick RPR teardrop assay for diagnosis of syphilis in settings with poor medical resources.


METHODS
Pregnant women evaluated at two health centers in Pikine, Senegal were tested for STDs. The RPR teardrop assay was performed on plasma from blood samples obtained by finger prick, and standard RPR, TPHA, and FTA-Abs procedures were performed on serum obtained by vein puncture.


RESULTS
The sensitivity and specificity of the finger-prick RPR teardrop assay were 69.7% and 96.5%, respectively, and its reactivity was correlated with RPR serum antibody titer.


CONCLUSIONS
The finger-prick RPR teardrop assay is not a reliable alternative to the classic serum RPR test.
Van Dyck
E
E
Department of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Van de Velden
L
L
Ndoye
I
I
Piot
P
P
Meheus
A
A
D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011935:Reagins; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011935:Reagins