Table 2.
Treponema pallidum DNA Detection Rates in Saliva and Plasma From Patients With Different Stages of Syphilis
| Stage | Saliva, % (n/N) | Plasma, % (n/N) | P | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| polA(+) | Tpp47(+) | polA and Tpp47(+) | polA(+) | Tpp47(+) | polA and Tpp47(+) | ||
| Primary syphilis (n = 29) | 20.7 (6/29) | 27.6 (8/29) | 31.0 (9/29) | 37.9 (11/29) | 37.9 (11/29) | 51.7 (15/29) | .11 |
| Secondary syphilis (n = 72) | 87.5 (63/72) | 84.7 (61/72) | 87.5 (63/72) | 52.8 (38/72) | 50 (36/72) | 61.1 (44/72) | <.001 |
| Latent syphilis (n = 82) | 24.4 (20/82) | 18.3 (15/82) | 25.6 (21/82) | 3.7 (3/82) | 7.3 (6/82) | 8.5 (7/82) | .004 |
| Symptomatic neurosyphilis (n = 51) | 17.6 (9/51) | 19.6 (10/51) | 21.6 (11/51) | 5.9 (3/51) | 3.9 (2/51) | 5.9 (3/51) | .021 |
| All cases (n = 234) | 41.9 (98/234) | 40.2 (94/234) | 44.4 (104/234) | 23.5 (55/234) | 23.5 (55/234) | 29.5 (69/234) | .001 |
All of the saliva and plasma samples from 30 uninfected volunteers were negative for both polA and Tpp47. polA and Tpp47(+) indicates positive for polA and/or Tpp47; P values refer to the statistical difference between the percentage of polA and Tpp47 positive in saliva and the percentage of polA and Tpp47 positive in plasma at the same stage.