title: Spirochetemia due to Treponema pallidum using polymerase-chain-reaction assays in patients with early syphilis: prevalence, associated factors and treatment response.
abstract: Between 2009 and 2013, polymerase-chain-reaction assay was used to detect Treponema pallidum in the blood samples collected from 296 patients with early syphilis (241 being HIV infected) and 102 patients (34.5%) had spirochetemia. The presence of spirochetemia was associated with lower CD4 counts (per 10-cell/mm(3) decrease, adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.020; 95% CI, 1.006-1.036) and secondary syphilis (AOR, 4.967; 95% CI, 2.016-12.238). Patients with early latent syphilis were less likely to achieve serological response compared with those with primary or secondary syphilis (AOR, 0.317; 95% CI, 0.142-0.708). However, serological response was not affected by presence of spirochetemia or antibiotic regimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: B-R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M-S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: C-J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: W-C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S-P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P-Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Azithromycin; molecular diagnosis; penicillin; sexually transmitted infection; spirochete