Cerebral syphilitic gumma masquerading as cerebral metastatic tumors: case report.

A 45-year-old man was admitted with severe headache and left-sided weakness, which worsened over 1 week. Brain imaging revealed a small lesion close to the sagittal sinus in the right frontal lobe with severe perilesional edema and showed enhancement on both CT and MRI obtained with contrast. Serological findings were positive for toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST) positivity and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay. The patient was first suspected of having a malignant brain tumor and subsequently received emergency craniotomy. Brain biopsy suggested a diagnosis of syphilitic cerebral gumma; meanwhile the postoperative CSF TRUST titer was positive, and the patient's improvement with high-dose intravenous aqueous crystalline penicillin further supported this etiology. Finally, the lesion on the right frontal lobe had disappeared during the follow-up imaging examination and the myodynamia of the left limbs gradually improved. The authors recommend that diagnostic penicillin treatment should be first implemented. When a patient's history, clinical manifestations, syphilis serology, CSF examination, and other physiological changes indicate a diagnosis of syphilitic cerebral gumma, there is no doubt that surgery should be performed in patients with acute intracranial hypertension, but unnecessary craniotomy should be avoided as far as possible.

Evaluation of the Lumipulse G TP-N Chemiluminescent Immunoassay as a Syphilis Screening Test.

A syphilis diagnosis is often aided by the detection of treponemal and nontreponemal antibodies. Automated treponemal antibody detection systems enable high-volume clinical laboratories to perform syphilis screening at a faster pace with lower labor costs. The Lumipulse G TP-N chemiluminescent immunoassay is an automated system that qualitatively detects IgG and IgM antibodies against Treponema pallidum antigens in human serum and plasma. To assess performance characteristics and workflow efficiency, the Lumipulse G TP-N assay was compared to the Bioplex 2200 Syphilis IgG multiplex flow immunoassay. Among the 4,134 routine and HIV samples tested by the two automated assays, the percentage of agreement was excellent at 99.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 98.6% to 99.2%; κ, 0.89), with the Lumipulse G TP-N having a shorter time to first and subsequent results. All specimens with reactive syphilis screening results were further tested by rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TP·PA) testing (n = 231). The results from the RPR-reactive samples (n = 82) showed complete concordance with the two automated assays, while the TP·PA assay displayed some discrepancies. The positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) between the TP·PA test and the Lumipulse G TP-N test were 98.9% and 77.3%, respectively. The Bioplex 2200 Syphilis IgG immunoassay displayed a similar PPA (100%) but a substantially lower NPA (15.9%). Patient chart reviews of discrepant results suggested that the Lumipulse G TP-N assay produced 27 fewer falsely reactive results and can reduce the amount of additional confirmatory RPR and TP·PA testing needed. The analogous performance characteristics of the two automated systems indicate that the Lumipulse G TP-N assay is suitable for high-throughput syphilis screening.

Evaluation of Serological Tests for the Diagnosis of Syphilis.

Background Syphilis remains a significant public health concern in India. Ensuring the accuracy of diagnostic tests is crucial for effectively managing this disease. Objectives This study aims to assess the detectability of syphilis using commercially available non-treponemal and treponemal tests due to observed discrepancies in test results, which can lead to confusion and anxiety among healthcare providers and patients. Materials and methods We analyzed 2312 serum samples using the rapid plasma reagin (RPR), Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and modified TPHA rapid test, interpreting the results according to the manufacturers' instructions. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of all four tests. Concordance between the traditional and reverse algorithms was determined by calculating the percentage of agreement and the kappa (κ) coefficient. Results Of the 2312 samples tested, 34 (1.5%) were positive, and 2098 (90.7%) were negative across all four tests. Comparing the test results with clinical diagnosis, TPHA and TP-ELISA showed the highest sensitivity at 96.08%, while RPR demonstrated the highest specificity at 100%. The agreement between the traditional and reverse algorithms was moderate, with a 97.3% agreement and a κ value of 0.53. Conclusion Reliance on a single serological test for syphilis screening presents limitations. A combined approach using both RPR and TPHA tests can more accurately diagnose and confirm syphilis. This combination strategy is cost-effective and relatively simple to implement.

Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of TpN17 and TmpA recombinant proteins in syphilis detection: a phase II study.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the spiral bacterium Treponema pallidum. Diagnosis is based on epidemiology, clinical and serology, but serodiagnosis is challenging because distinct clinical forms of the infection may influence serological performance. Several recombinant Treponema pallidum-proteins have already been tested for syphilis diagnosis and they are critical to achieve high accuracy in serological testing. A total of 647 samples were included in the study: 180 T. pallidum-positive samples, 191 T. pallidum-negative samples and 276 sera from individuals infected with unrelated diseases. The diagnostic potential was validated by analysis of ROC curves. For the indirect ELISA, TpN17 (100%) and TmpA (99%) showed excellent AUC values. Sensitivity values were 97.2% for TpN17 and 90.6% for TmpA, while specificity was 100% for both molecules. According to the clinical phase, TmpA ranged from 84% to 97%, with the highest value for secondary syphilis. TpN17 was 100% sensitive for the primary and secondary stages and 93.2% for recent latent syphilis. All clinical phases achieved 100% specificity. Accuracy values showed that TmpA (> 95%) and TpN17 (> 98%) presented high diagnostic accuracy for all clinical stages of syphilis. Cross-reactivity was only observed in one sample positive for Chagas disease (1.5%), when TpN17 was evaluated. On the other hand, TmpA showed reactivity for two samples positive for Chagas disease (3.1%), one sample positive for HBV (1.25%), two samples positive for HIV (9.5%) and one sample positive for HTLV (1.6%). The TmpA antigen's performance was evaluated in multiple studies for syphilis diagnosis, corroborating our findings. However, TpN17 sensitivity values have ranged in other studies. According to clinical stages of the infection, our findings obtained close performance values.

Advantages and limitations of current diagnostic laboratory approaches in syphilis and congenital syphilis.

INTRODUCTION: The reemergence of syphilis, especially congenital syphilis, presents a significant public health threat. Accurate diagnosis of syphilis depends on recognition of a constellation of symptoms, review of medical and sexual history, and multiple laboratory tests. While reliable, current tests for syphilis can be difficult to interpret, which can lead to delays in treatment. AREA COVERED: This review summarizes the major advantages and limitations of available diagnostic laboratory methods for syphilis, provides an update on recent advances in laboratory tools, and highlights the urgent need for coordinated efforts to create new tools to halt the resurgence of syphilis. EXPERT OPINION: In syphilis, the wide variety of short-lived signs and symptoms followed by periods of latency create diagnostic challenges. Currently available laboratory tests, when positive, require additional information to interpret (prior testing, treatment, and sexual history). Point-of-care tests that can rapidly and accurately detect both treponemal and non-treponemal antibodies would be a huge step toward reducing test turnaround time and time to treatment. Incorporating biological insights and technology innovations to advance the development of direct detection assays is urgently needed. A comprehensive coordinated effort is critical to stem the tide of rising syphilis in the United States and globally.

Assessment of a fully automated RPR assay (Mediace RPR) for serological diagnosis and follow-up of syphilis: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the Mediace RPR assay, an automated RPR (aRPR), for syphilis diagnosis and serological follow-up. METHODS: Serums from patients positively screened for syphilis between January 2017 and December 2019 were retrospectively selected. A focus was performed on patients with a serological follow-up after treatment and/or a reinfection. Serums were tested by both manual (mRPR) and aRPR tests. Categorical and Quantitative Agreements (CA and QA), and serological follow-up conclusions were analyzed. RESULTS: 236 serums from 85 patients (99% of male, 66% of HIV-infected) were included. The overall QA was 54.2%. CA was low (79.7%) especially for samples with low RPR titers. No prozone effect was observed. Serological follow-up after treatment led to similar conclusions, although aRPR titers often decreased faster. Over 26 episodes of reinfection, 4 (15.4%) were misdiagnosed with the aRPR. CONCLUSIONS: While the Mediace aRPR presents the advantages of an automated test, its poor sensitivity in low titers may limit its use.

Optimal detection of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producers, carbapenemase producers, polymyxin-resistant Enterobacterales, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci from stools.

This study compared the impact of different approaches, namely, nonenrichment, nonselective enrichment, and selective (antibiotic-containing) enrichment steps, for detecting extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), polymyxin-resistant Enterobacterales (PMR-E), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from spiked stools. The use of a nonselective 18-h enrichment broth culture significantly improved the recovery rate of all types of resistant bacteria after their plating onto selective media. In addition, the detection of ESBL-E, CPE, PMR-E, and VRE was further improved when using an enrichment step using antibiotic-supplemented broths respectively supplemented with cefotaxime (0.1 µg/mL), ertapenem (0.1 µg/mL), colistin (0.5 µg/mL), and vancomycin (1 µg/mL). Therefore, we showed here that a screening strategy based on a selective broth enrichment step significantly contributes to an increased rate of detection of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which may be crucial in term of improvement of infection control.

Development of a syphilis serum bank to support research, development, and evaluation of syphilis diagnostic tests in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of STD Prevention, in collaboration with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), is developing a nationally available syphilis serum repository for research of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared or investigational syphilis diagnostic assays in the United States. State and local public health laboratories (PHL) submitted de-identified residual sera with information on collection date, volume, storage conditions, freeze-thaw cycles, PHL serology results, reported syphilis stage and demographic details if available. Previous test results were blinded and sera (N = 152 reported syphilis stage, N = 131 unknown status) were tested at CDC using five FDA-cleared and one investigational syphilis tests. Treponemal and nontreponemal test sensitivity ranged from 76.3-100% and 63.2-100%, respectively, among staged specimens. The conventional treponemal assays showed high concordance of 95.4%. By providing syphilis stage and comprehensive serological test data, developed repository may serve as a valuable resource for diagnostic test validation studies.

Limited efficacy of nontreponemal test combined with treponemal test in the initial syphilis screening algorithm.

PURPOSE: Various syphilis screening algorithms have been proposed and are now used by many clinical laboratories following the introduction of automated treponemal tests (TTs). In France, the diagnosis of syphilis is based on a TT combined with a nontreponemal test (NTT). The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic impact of NTT on initial syphilis screening at the Amiens University Hospital between January 2013 and December 2016. METHODOLOGY: Serum samples sent for syphilis testing were analysed using a treponemal enzyme immunoassay (Siemens IMMULITE 2000 Syphilis Screen) combined with a nontreponemal test. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)-reactive and/or nontreponemal-reactive samples were titrated to endpoint using the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test (TPHA). Complementary tests, such as line immunoassay, and medical charts were reviewed to categorize reactive samples into positive or negative syphilis contacts. RESULTS: Among 15 523 initial screening samples, 148 samples (0.95 %) were reactive with the combined TT and NTT, and 335 (2.16 %) and 66 (0.42 %) were reactive with TT or NTT only. Analysis of the 66 discordant results between TT and NTT showed that only 4 sera were reactive with a second-line TPHA, but these results were not confirmed by line immunoassay and patient characteristics. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the combination of NTT and TT for initial screening does not provide any diagnostic gain, but represents additional laboratory work time.

Comparación de desempeño de algoritmos para el diagnóstico de sífilis / Performance comparison of algorithms for the diagnosis of syphilis / Comparação de desempenho de algoritmos para o diagnóstico da sífilis

Resumen La sífilis es una de las infecciones de transmisión sexual con mayor incidencia en la Argentina. Para su diagnóstico, el Ministerio de Salud de la Nación avala distintos algoritmos, entre ellos, el algoritmo tradicional y el reverso. En el algoritmo tradicional, la VDRL constituye la prueba de screening y los resultados positivos se confirman con la prueba treponémica de aglutinación de partículas (TPPA). El algoritmo reverso con un test rápido, avalado más recientemente, consiste en la realización de un test rápido treponémico como screening y posterior VDRL en las muestras que resulten positivas. Se realizó una comparación entre ambos algoritmos para evaluar si era factible y conveniente la implementación del algoritmo reverso con un test rápido en el laboratorio del H.I.G.A. Dr. Oscar Alende. El objetivo fue determinar la concordancia entre el algoritmo tradicional, utilizado actualmente en la institución (VDRL seguido por TPPA), y el nuevo algoritmo propuesto (test rápido treponémico Alere Determine Syphilis TP seguido por VDRL-USR). Para ello se realizó un estudio prospectivo de desempeño de métodos cualitativos. Se realizó VDRL-USR, TPPA y test rápido Alere Determine Syphilis TP en muestras de 580 pacientes, de los cuales 558 cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. Se obtuvieron 51 muestras con resultados positivos y 507 con resultados negativos para el diagnóstico de sífilis por ambos algoritmos, con un porcentaje de concordancia global del 100%, lo cual indica que podría reemplazarse el algoritmo tradicional por el reverso en aquellas situaciones que lo requieran en la población estudiada.

Abstract Syphilis is one of the sexually transmitted infections with the highest incidence in Argentina. For its diagnosis, the Ministry of Health of the Nation endorses different algorithms, among them, the traditional algorithm and the reverse. In the traditional algorithm, VDRL constitutes the screening test and positive results are confirmed with particle agglutination assay TPPA. The reverse algorithm with rapid test, endorsed more recently, consists of performing a rapid treponemal test as screening and subsequent VDRL in the samples that are positive. A comparison was made between both algorithms to evaluate if the implementation of the reverse algorithm with rapid test in Dr. Oscar Alende Hospital would be feasible and convenient. The objective of this work was to determine the concordance between the traditional algorithm, currently used in the institution (VDRL followed by TPPA), and the new algorithm proposed (rapid treponemal test Alere Determine Syphilis TP followed by VDRL-USR). For that purpose, a prospective study of the performance of qualitative methods was carried out. VDRL-USR, TPPA and Alere Determine Syphilis TP Rapid Test were performed on samples from 580 patients, of which 558 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 51 samples with positive results and 507 with negative results for the diagnosis of syphilis were obtained by both algorithms, with an overall concordance percentage of 100%, which indicates that the traditional algorithm could be replaced by the reverse in those situations that require it in the studied population.

Resumo A sífilis é uma das infecções sexualmente transmissíveis com maior incidência na Argentina. Para o seu diagnóstico, o Ministério da Saúde da Nação endossa diversos algoritmos, incluindo o algoritmo tradicional e o reverso. No algoritmo tradicional, o VDRL constitui o teste de triagem e os resultados positivos são confirmados com o teste treponêmico de aglutinação de partículas (TPPA). O algoritmo reverso com teste rápido, endossado mais recentemente, consiste na realização de um teste rápido treponêmico como triagem e posterior VDRL nas amostras positivas. Foi feita uma comparação entre os dois algoritmos para avaliar se a implementação do algoritmo reverso com um teste rápido no laboratório H.I.G.A. Dr. Óscar Alende era viável e conveniente. O objetivo foi determinar a concordância entre o algoritmo tradicional, atualmente utilizado na instituição (VDRL seguido de TPPA), e o novo algoritmo proposto (teste rápido treponêmico Alere Determine Syphilis TP seguido de VDRL-USR). Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo prospectivo de desempenho de métodos qualitativos. O VDRL- -USR, o TPPA e o teste rápido Alere Determine Syphilis TP foram realizados em amostras de 580 pacientes, dos quais 558 preencheram os critérios de inclusão. Foram obtidas 51 amostras com resultados positivos e 507 com resultados negativos para o diagnóstico de sífilis por ambos os algoritmos, com um percentual de concordância global de 100%, o que indica que o algoritmo tradicional poderia ser substituído pelo reverso nas situações que o exigissem na população estudada.

Evaluation of an automated quantitative latex immunoturbidimetric non-treponemal assay for diagnosis and follow-up of syphilis: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose. We evaluated the Sekure rapid plasma reagin (RPR-S) (Sekisui Diagnostics) automated quantitative latex immunoturbidimetric assay performed on the SK500 clinical chemistry system for clinical appropriateness.Methodology. Syphilis-infected individuals and controls were recruited into a prospective cohort study conducted at a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Antwerp, Belgium. Sera collected at diagnosis (baseline) and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months post-treatment were tested with RPR-S and Macro-Vue RPR card (RPR-C) (Becton Dickinson) assays; RPR-C was considered the reference test. IgG/IgM enzyme immunoassay and Treponema pallidum polA serum PCR results were consulted by discordancy at baseline. Categorical analyses were performed and correlations were assessed with (non)-linear regression. Post-treatment longitudinal serological evolution was evaluated.Results. A total of 463 samples from 120 new syphilis cases from a variety of clinical stages and 30 syphilis-negative controls were tested. Initially, there was a weak correlation between quantitative RPR-C/S (r=0.15). In 70 samples there was a strong suspicion of hook effect. Of these, 57/70 sera were retested with an extra dilution step, resulting in an average 12-fold increase in quantitative RPR-S results. After the extra dilution, the overall qualitative RPR-C/S agreement was 78.89 %, (κ-coefficient: 0.484). Of the 92 discordant samples, 9 were from the baseline visit (RPR-C titre: 1-8), which could have led to possible missed diagnoses using the RPR-S.Conclusions. The sensitivity and accuracy of the RPR-S test requires improvement before it can be used to diagnose syphilis and evaluate treatment efficacy in clinical practice.

Evaluation of a new serological test for syphilis based on chemiluminescence assay in a tertiary care hospital.

CONTEXT: Syphilis is a transfusion transmissible infections and it is mandatory to do serological test for syphilis (STS) on all donor blood samples. STS is usually based on detection of antibodies against the cardiolipin-lecithin antigen or against the Treponema-specific antigen. STS with good sensitivity and specificity helps enhance blood safety and consolidation of STS along with other transfusion transmittable infections such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis-C virus, and hepatitis-B virus helps in reducing the errors and enhances efficiency. AIMS: This study was designed to evaluate the performance of newly introduced VITROS(®) syphilis Treponema pallidum agglutination (TPA) assay based on enhanced chemiluminescence principle for its analytical performance for use as a STS on donor blood samples at a tertiary care health center in National Capital Region, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 108 random blood units collected from the donors (both voluntary and replacement donors) and 28 known syphilis sero-reactive samples stored at -20°C, were used to evaluate the performance of VITROS(®) syphilis TPA assay based on enhanced chemiluminescence assay on VITROS(®) ECiQ immunodiagnostics system along with its analytical performance in terms of its sensitivity, precision, cross-reactivity and interference studies. RESULTS: VITROS(®) syphilis TPA showed 100% sensitivity and specificity with precision (20 days study) of <10% co-efficient of variation. There was no cross-reactivity with other viral and auto-immune antibodies. No interference was observed from endogenous interfering substances like free hemoglobin or fats. CONCLUSIONS: Performance of the VITROS(®) syphilis TPA assay meets the requirements for its use as STS in blood bank, thus allowing consolidation with other transfusion transmittable infections screening assay on chemiluminescence platform, which is highly valuable for optimizing workflow and efficiency.

Sífilis en el siglo XXI: novedades en el enfrentamiento diagnóstico y terapéutico / Syphilis in the XXI century: novelties in the diagnostic and therapeutic confrontation

La sífilis es una enfermedad de transmisión sexual altamente contagiosa con importantes complicaciones, pero con tratamiento efectivo en etapas tempranas. Actualmente, representa un problema de salud pública. La prevalencia reportada en EEUU desde el año 2008 es de 4,5 casos/100.000 habitantes, con una incidencia 10.6 millones de casos cada año, especialmente en hombres que mantienen relaciones sexuales con hombres (HSH) y pacientes portadores de VIH (PVIH). Los métodos diagnósticos basados en test moleculares aún no han sido validados para el diagnóstico de sífilis, lo que ha permitido establecer tres esquemas serológicos con diferentes rendimientos, según prevalencia poblacional. Desde este punto de vista, el screening reverso pareciera ser útil en población de alto riesgo, y el screening tradicional para la población general.

Syphilis is a sexual transmitted disease highly contagious with important complications that can be prevented with an adequate treatment in early stages. Syphilis has become a public health issue, in the USA its incidence has increased from the 2001, with a rate in the 2008 of 4,5 cases/100000 people, with a greater prevalence in men who have sex with men (HSH) and people infected by HIV (PVIH). Despite molecular detection test are used for the diagnostic of many diseases, in syphilis we still using serologist test. There are three different schemes with different per-formance depending in the prevalence of syphilis in the population. In this setting reverse screening is the most adequate method for high prevalence versus traditional method that is better in general population.

Evaluación de las características funcionales del juego de reactivos VDRL Plus / Evaluation of the functional characteristics of the set of reagents called VDRL Plus

Introducción: la prueba de VDRL (venereal disease research laboratories) es una técnica no treponémica de microfloculación en lámina para la detección cualitativa y semicuantitativa de reaginas plasmáticas. El VDRL Plus es un juego de reactivos que contiene una suspensión antigénica estabilizada (no alcohólica), basada en una mezcla de cardiolipina, colesterol y lecitina en tampón fosfato. Objetivo: determinar un conjunto de parámetros funcionales que caracterizan el desempeño diagnóstico o clínico del juego de reactivo VDRL Plus producido en Centro de Isótopos (CENTIS). Métodos: los parámetros del desempeño diagnóstico evaluados fueron: sensibilidad y especificidad diagnóstica, valores predictivos positivo y negativo, razón de verosimilitud positiva y negativa. Se determinaron además los índices de Youden y de concordancia Kappa. Se emplearon como métodos de referencia TPHA (Treponema pallidum hemagglutination) y RPR (rapid plasma reagin)-carbón producidos en el CENTIS. Se utilizaron muestras de sueros obtenidas en diferentes instituciones de salud de La Habana y el estudio se realizó con dos lotes del producto. Resultados: para los dos lotes evaluados se obtuvieron valores de sensibilidad de 100 porciento y de especificidad diagnóstica de 81 y 84 porciento. Los valores predictivos positivos resultaron de 71 y 75 porciento, y los negativos de 100 porciento. Por su parte, las razones de verosimilitud negativas fueron de 0 porciento y las positivas de 5,3 y 6,3 porciento, para cada lote estudiado. Los índices de Youden obtenidos (0,84 y 0,81) y la concordancia expresada mediante Kappa muestran que existe una adecuada correlación entre los resultados con el método en evaluación y los de referencia. Conclusiones: las características funcionales evaluadas evidencian que el diagnosticador VDRL Plus es apto para el uso previsto y que estas son consistentes entre los lotes estudiados

Introduction: the VDRL test (venereal disease research laboratories) is a no-treponemal slide microaglutination test for the qualitative and semi-quantitative detection of plasma reagins in human serum. The VDRL Plus contains non alcoholic stabilized antigen suspension based in cardiolipin, lecithin and cholesterol in phosphate buffer. Objective: to determine a group of functional parameters in the diagnostic or clinical performance of the VDRL Plus set of reagents produced by the Center of Isotopes (CENTIS). Methods: several parameters, such as, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and positive and negative likelihood ratios were evaluated. Likewised, Youden and Kappa indexes were calculated. Two references methods were employed, that is, TPHA (Treponema pallidum hemagglutination) and RPR-Carbon (rapid plasma reagin)-carbon, both from CENTIS. Serum samples were collected from several health centers in Havana city. Two different product batches were evaluated. Results: the sensitivity value for both evaluated batches was 100 percent and the specificity was 81 and 84 percent. The positives predictive values were 71 and 75 percent and negative predictive value was 100 percent. The positive likelihood ration were 5.3 and 6,3 percent respectively and negative likelihood ration was 0 percent for both batches. The Youden indexes obtained (0.84 and 0.81) and Kappa's indexes showed that there was an adequate correlation between the results obtained and the evaluation and reference methods. Conclusions: the evaluated functional characteristics showed that they are consistent among studied batches and that the VDRL Plus assay is suitable for the intended use

Neurosífilis, evaluación de pruebas inmunológicas para su diagnóstico / Immunological test evaluation for neurosyphilis diagnosis

Con el objetivo de correlacionar las pruebas VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) y USR (unheated serum reagin) para diagnóstico de neurosífilis, se evaluaron los resultados en 106 líquidos cefalorraquídeos. De 106 líquidos cefalorraquídeos procesados con VDRL y USR, 7,54% fue reactivo por los dos métodos, 90,57% no reactivo por ambos métodos y 1,89% discordante. VDRL y USR clasifican de la misma manera, p no significativa (prueba de Mac Nemar). Si bien la VDRL en líquido cefalorraquídeo es la prueba serológica estándar para neurosífilis, la USR podría ser usada para su diagnóstico, ya que no existe diferencia estadísticamente significativa con la VDRL, es más económica, más práctica y más accesible en el mercado.

The results of 106 cerebrospinal fluids have been evaluated with the aim of correlating the VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) and USR (unheated serum reagin) tests for neurosyphilis diagnosis. From 106 cerebrospinal fluids processed with VDRL and USR, 7.54% was reactive by the two methods, 90.57% was nonreactive by both methods and 1.89% was discordant. Mac Nemars test determined that VDRL and USR classified in the same way (not significative p). Although the VDRL in cerebrospinal fluids is the standard serologic test for neurosyphilis, the USR could be used as well for its diagnosis, since it is not significatively different from the statistical point of view with the VDRL; it is less expensive, more practical and more easily available in the market.