Evaluation of the counter-immunoelectrophoresis technique in syphilis serology.

a doubtful result, the Reiter protein complementfixation (RPCF) test is performed. Sera still considered to present problems are then referred to the Treponemal Department of the National Institute of Public Health. As the two initial screening tests differ in technique but not in the nature of the antigen, one might argue for substituting one of them by a test using a treponemal antigen (Bissett, Browne, Coffey, and Michelbacher, 1961; Fiumara, 1963; Sequeira, 1959). Wilkinson, Scrimgeour, and Rodin (1972) reported favourable results with a combination of the automated reagin (AR) test and the RPCF test for screening purposes. As most of the delay in reporting results is due to the complement-fixation test, a better substitute might be a test with a less tedious and timeconsuming technique. We investigated as such the counter-immunoelectrophoresis technique (Gocke and Howe, 1970) using the Reiter protein antigen (RP-CIE test). Some modifications of this test are described and the results compared with those of the quantitative RPCF test.