Skip to main content
PMC home page
The British Journal of Venereal Diseases logoLink to The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
. 1978 Oct;54(5):295–298. doi: 10.1136/sti.54.5.295

Specificity of the FTA-ABS and TPHA tests during pregnancy.

W Manikowska-Lesińska, B Linda, W Zajac
PMCID: PMC1045526  PMID: 361166

Abstract

In order to determine whether pregnancy influences the specificity of the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) and Treponema palidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) tests, these tests, together with the quantitative fluorescent treponemal antibody (FTA) and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) tests, were carried out simultaneously on 2000 pregnant women who attended for compulsory prenatal screening. In only one patient (0.05% of the total investigated) was a positive result to the TPHA test obtained, the specificity of which it was impossibile to confirm. The FTA-ABS test gave a weakly reactive result of the borderline type but this was found to be non-specific in only four (0.2%) patients. The results of our investigations showed that the specificity of the FTA-ABS and the TPHA tests performed on pregnant women did not differ from the specificity of these tests when carried out on other population groups.

Full text

PDF
295

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Buchanan C. S., Haserick J. R. FTA-ABS test in pregnancy. A probable false-positive reaction. Arch Dermatol. 1970 Sep;102(3):322–325. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cave V. G., Nikitas J. A. Venereal disease--clinical and laboratory diagnoses. Mt Sinai J Med. 1976 Nov-Dec;43(6):795–829. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fischman A., Bree A. D., Lynch R. A. TPHA and RPL tests for yaws antibodies. Br J Vener Dis. 1974 Oct;50(5):347–349. doi: 10.1136/sti.50.5.347. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Garner M. F., Backhouse J. L., Daskalopoulos G., Walsh J. L. The Treponema pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA) test in biological false positive and leprosy sera. J Clin Pathol. 1973 Apr;26(4):258–260. doi: 10.1136/jcp.26.4.258. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jaffe H. W. The laboratory diagnosis of syphilis. New concepts. Ann Intern Med. 1975 Dec;83(6):846–850. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-83-6-846. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Johnston N. A. Treponema pallidum haemagglutination test for syphilis. Evaluation of a modified micro-method. Br J Vener Dis. 1972 Dec;48(6):474–478. doi: 10.1136/sti.48.6.474. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kern A. Serologische Gesamtdiagnostik der Syphilis. Dermatol Monatsschr. 1975 Nov;161(11):905–917. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Király K., Prerau H. Evaluation of the T. pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA) test for syphilis on "problem sera". Acta Derm Venereol. 1974;54(4):303–310. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lesiński J., Nawara A., Hryniewiecka I., Lyzwa T., Kotyńska J. Badania nad swoistościa odczynu TPHA u osób podejrzanych o biologicznie mylne wyniki odczynów kardiolipinowych i jego przydatnościa jako rutynowej metody weryfikacji serologicznej. Przegl Dermatol. 1977 Jul-Aug;64(4):441–446. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Manikowska-Lesińska W., Linda B., Szymska K. Badania nad metodyka odczynu TPHA. Przegl Dermatol. 1975 Sep-Oct;62(5):663–669. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Meyer-Rohn J. Moderne Syphilis-Serologie. Z Hautkr. 1976 Sep 1;51(17):713–717. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Meyer-Rohn J. Unspezifisch positive Reaktionen im FTA-Test. Hautarzt. 1974 Nov;25(11):528–529. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rudolph A. H. The microhemagglutination assay for Treponema pallidum antibodies (MHA-TP), a new treponemal test for syphilis: where does it fit? J Am Vener Dis Assoc. 1976 Sep;3(1):3–8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sequeira P. J., Eldridge A. E. Treponemal haemagglutination test. Br J Vener Dis. 1973 Jun;49(3):242–248. doi: 10.1136/sti.49.3.242. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Shore R. N. Hemagglutination tests and related advances in serodiagnosis of syphilis. Arch Dermatol. 1974 Jun;109(6):854–857. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sparling P. F. Diagnosis and treatment of syphilis. N Engl J Med. 1971 Mar 25;284(12):642–653. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197103252841205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. West B. S., Pagano D. A. Evaluation of the automated micro-hemagglutination assay for antibodies to Treponema pallidum. HSMHA Health Rep. 1972 Jan;87(1):93–96. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Young H., Henrichsen C., Robertson D. H. Treponema pallidum haemagglutination test as a screening procedure for the diagnosis of syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. 1974 Oct;50(5):341–346. doi: 10.1136/sti.50.5.341. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Venereal Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES