title: [Laboratory diagnosis of Treponema pallidum infection in patients with early syphilis and neurosyphilis through a PCR-based test].
abstract: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum. The diagnosis is based mainly in clinical presentation and non-specific assays. PCR-based diagnosis has been suggested as an attractive alternative method. The aim of this study was the validation of a PCR-based test for the diagnosis of early syphilis (ES) and neurosyphilis (NS). Clinical samples of mucocutaneous lesions and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from patients previously diagnosed for ES and NS respectively using an enlarged gold standard, were tested by PCR. The reaction was done using primers targeting the tpN47 gene. Twenty out of 21 mucocutaneous samples from patients diagnosed with ES were positive by PCR, with a clinical sensitivity of 95%. Four out of 8 CSF samples from patients previously diagnosed with NS were positive by PCR, with a clinical sensitivity of 50%. The clinical specificity for both ES and NS was 100%. The PCR sensitivity and specificity for mucocutaneous samples allowed us to implement this assay in our laboratory for routine diagnosis. Although the sensitivity of the PCR in CSF was low, it may be useful to support clinical diagnosis.
authors: Departamento de Laboratorios Clínicos,Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: García
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Grassi
authors: Félix
authors: F
authors: Fich
authors: Aurelio
authors: A
authors: Salvo
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Araya
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Abarzúa
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Soto
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Poggi
authors: Marcela
authors: M
authors: Lagos
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Vásquez
authors: Eugenia P
authors: EP
authors: León
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Pérez
authors: Aniela
authors: A
authors: Wozniak
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013591:Syphilis, Cutaneous / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial