Table 4.
Factors Associated With Saliva Treponema pallidum DNA Positive Findingsin Patients With Syphilis
| Variables | Saliva T. pallidum DNA Positive (n = 104) | Saliva T. pallidum DNA Negative (n = 130) | Adjusted OR | 95% CI | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (range), years | 39 (17–75) | 56 (20–84) | .96 | .94–1 | .007 |
| MSM, % (n/N) | 21.4 (22/104) | 3.8 (5/130) | 3.62 | .34–39.09 | .289 |
| Oral sex, % (n/N) | 29.0 (29/100)a | 7.4 (9/122)b | .50 | .09–2.82 | .433 |
| Plasma RPR titer ≥1:32, % (n/N) | 91.3 (95/104) | 53.1 (69/130) | 11.21 | 3.78–33.25 | <.001 |
| Plasma RPR titer, median (range) | 64 (2–512) | 32 (0–512) | 1.00 | 1.0–1.01 | .694 |
| Plasma DNA(+), % (n/N) | 51.0 (53/104) | 12.3 (16/130) | 4.30 | 1.59–11.59 | .004 |
| Stages, % (n/N) | |||||
| Symptomatic neurosyphilis | 10.7 (11/104) | 30.5 (40/130) | … | … | … |
| Primary | 8.7 (9/104) | 15.3 (20/130) | 1.40 | .35–5.67 | .636 |
| Secondary | 60.6 (63/104) | 6.9 (9/130) | 13.20 | 3.88–44.84 | <.001 |
| Latent | 20.4 (21/104) | 46.6 (61/130) | 1.38 | .54–3.52 | .505 |
| HIV infection, % (n/N) | 15.5 (16/104) | 2.3 (3/130) | .15 | .01–1.54 | .109 |
P values refer to the statistical difference of the association between the presence of T. pallidum DNA in saliva and the variables using the logistic regression. Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; MSM, men who have sex with men; OR, odds ratio; RPR, rapid plasma reagin.
aThe number of all cases was 100 because 4 cases were unknown.
bThe number of all cases was 122 because 8 cases were unknown.