Table 1.
Characteristics of 701 Study Participants at the Index Episode
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Male | 687 (98.0) |
| Men who have sex with men | 656 (95.6)a |
| Age, y | 39 (33–46) |
| Persons living with human immunodeficiency virus | 558 (79.6) |
| Index episode stage | |
| Primary | 67 (9.6) |
| Secondary | 292 (41.7) |
| Early latent | 222 (31.7) |
| Late latent | 120 (17.1) |
| Serum rapid plasma reagin titer | 64 (32–256) |
| Treated for the index episode of syphilis before entry | 338 (48.2) |
| Treponema pallidum DNA detected in blood | 175 (26.5)b |
| T. pallidum rRNA detected in CSF | 86 (12.7)c |
| CSF white blood cells >20/uL or reactive CSF- Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test | 144 (21.2)c |
Values are expressed as number (percent) or median (interquartile range).
Abbreviation: CSF, cerebrospinal fluid.
aSexual orientation was available for 686 men.
bBlood was available for 661 participants.
cCSF was available for 678 participants.