Serologic Testing for Syphilis

Diagnosis: Treponemal Serology Tests

April 2011

The second class of syphilis serology tests is the treponemal assays, which are designed to detect antibodies against specific antigens from Treponema pallidum. Examples include fluorescent treponemal antibody, or FTA, Treponema pallidum particle agglutination, or TP-PA, and newer generation assays such as enzyme immunoassays. Although these tests are typically more specific than nontreponemal assays, they will remain positive for years despite treatment, and this has significant implications that we’ll discuss later in the presentation.

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Diagnosis: Treponemal Serology Tests

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Jump to section:

• Introduction
• Presentation Outline
• Syphilis — The "Great Imitator"
• Diagnosis: Laboratory Testing
• Diagnosis: Nontreponemal Serology Tests
• Diagnosis: Treponemal Serology Tests
• Diagnosis: Traditional Algorithm
• Diagnosis: Traditional Algorithm
• Syphilis — Incidence
• Syphilis — Incidence
• Diagnosis: Contemporary Algorithm
• Diagnosis: Contemporary Algorithm
• Diagnosis: Proposed Algorithm with Treponemal Screening Test
• Interpretation and Follow-up
• Interpretation and Follow-up
• Interpretation and Follow-up
• Interpretation and Follow-up
• Interpretation and Follow-up
• Conclusions
• Conclusions
• Questions?