Positive serological tests for syphilis and administration of intravenous immunoglobulin

Serological tests for syphilis.

Many of the nontreponemal or serological tests for syphilis involve the detection of serum antibodies (reagin) which are not directed against a component of the causative organism itself but may arise as a result of pathological changes brought about by proliferation of Treponema pallidum in host tissue. Test antigens for the detection of reagin are lipoidal, the main active component being the...

Serological Tests for Syphilis.

In a pilot study by field-screening in two different sauna baths, a day-sauna and a night-sauna, 318 homosexual men were investigated for syphilis and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and its antibody (anti-HBs). Of the 134 visitors to the day-sauna 35 1-o were seroreactive for syphilis, four (3%) carried HBsAg, and 95 (70' 9%) anti-HBs. Of the 184 visitors to the night-sauna 33' 2% were ser...

Interpretation of positive serological tests for syphilis in pregnancy.

The remarkable decline in the incidence of syphilis in the first half of the 20th century tempted many observers to share the view of Illingworth (1959) that it was a disappearing disease. Since 1957, however, there has been an unmistakable upward trend in many parts of the world (Stallworthy and Bourne, 1966; Walter and Israel, 1965), and many cases of florid congenital syphilis have been repo...

Biological false positive serological tests for syphilis among drug addicts.

The biological false positive reaction to serological tests for syphilis.

Acute and chronic biological false positive reactions to serological tests for syphilis are discussed. Three cases are presented, one showing an acute and one a chronic reaction, and one in which it was not possible to determine if the reaction was acute or chronic. Once a biological false positive reaction is found, serum from the patient should be tested at intervals for at least six months t...