False Positive Serologic Reactions for Syphilis in Eosinophilia

Ageing and false positive reactions for syphilis.

Biological false positive reactors for syphilis (BFP) are defined as those patients having reagin demonstrated by positive serological tests for syphilis and non-reactive treponemal antibody tests. Acute biological false-positive reactions (ABFP) terminate in 1 to 6 months. Patients in whom reagin persists longer than 6 months are considered to have chronic reactions (CBFP). Harvey (1962) stres...

Evaluation of cardiolipin antigen in the tests for syphilis in leprosy.

Pangborn (14) has shown that an antigen for the serologic diagnosis of syphilis can be prepared by the addition of lecithin and cholesterol to a phospholipid obtained from beef heart. Tests for syphilis using these so-called cardiolipin antigens have given few false positive readings in at least one disease, namely, malaria (7, 8, 15, 16). In leprosy, on the other hand, Rein and his coworkers (...

Serological tests for syphilis in pregnancy. False and missed positive reactions.

False-positive test results for syphilis in relatives of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

In a family of nine members, two had systemic lupus erythematosus and seven positive serological test results for syphilis. None of the affected subjects had a history or physical signs of syphilis, but two had positive results to the Treponema pallidum immobilisation test. The explanation for these findings is not known, but possibily they were all false-positive reactions.

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...