Table 1.
Diseases and conditions that can cause false-positive results using nontreponemal and treponemal tests (8,10)
| Test type | Disease or condition |
|---|---|
| Nontreponemal | Inflammation |
| Autoimmune diseases (especially lupus erythematosus) | |
| Acute viral infections | |
| Hepatitis C | |
| Pregnancy | |
| Recent immunization | |
| Connective-tissue diseases | |
| HIV infection | |
| Injection drug use | |
| Malignancy | |
| Advancing age | |
|
| |
| Treponemal | Thyroiditis |
| Systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma | |
| Infectious mononucleosis, genital herpes | |
| Cirrhosis | |
| Pregnancy | |
| Recent immunization | |
| Hyperglobulinemia | |
| Bacterial infections | |
| Brucellosis | |
| Leptospirosis | |
| Lyme disease | |
| Malaria | |
| Hansen’s disease | |
| Injection drug use | |
| Yaws, pinta, bejel | |
| Advancing age | |