title: Detection of the 47-kilodalton membrane immunogen gene of Treponema pallidum in various tissue sources of patients with syphilis.
abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the 47-kDa immunogen gene of Treponema pallidum in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), skin lesions, and serum, but less consistently in purified granulocytes or ejaculates of patients with manifest and latent syphilis. Therefore, skin lesions and PBMCs may serve as the most reliable sources for a PCR-based diagnosis of syphilis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immune Pathogenesis and Serology, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander Vasilevich
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kouznetsov
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weisenseel
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trommler
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Multhaup
authors.forename: Joerg Christoph
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Prinz
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013591:Syphilis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis; D013592:Syphilis, Latent / Q000175:diagnosis; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: C090573:47-kDa immunogen, Treponema pallidum; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008074:Lipoproteins