[Actuality of Giuseppe D'Alessandro's contribution to the knowledge of the antigenic structure of Treponema pallidum when syphilis is re-emerging as a public health problem].
The antigenic structure of Treponema pallidum was described in the 1940s and 1950s. The main contributions of Giuseppe D'Alessandro and his collaborators included the description of the external membrane and of the polysaccharide antigen found in the cell wall of the microorganism. Based on new knowledge it has been possible to develop diagnostic tests that are more sensitive and specific than nontreponemal tests, which nevertheless retain their validity in the current re-emergence of syphilis as a public health problem.
Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Università di Catania. giugiam@unict.it
Giuseppe
G
Giammanco
Maria
M
Barbera
Sarina
S
Pignato
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000266:history* / Q000276:immunology; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000266:history* / Q000276:immunology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011634:Public Health / Q000266:history*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012802:Sicily; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial