Present-day serological diagnosis of syphilis: comparison of TPHA and FTA-ABS tests with classical flocculation and complement-fixation reaction (author's transl)

Twelve laboratories in the north Rhine-Westphalia participated in comparing TPHA and FTA-ABS tests with the so-called classical syphilis reactions (VDRL test, cardiolipin and pallida complement-fixation reaction, as well as Meinicke clearing reaction II). TPHA and FTA-ABS tests proved to be superior to the conventional methods both as regards specificity and sensitivity. Present-day serological tests of syphilis can thus be limited to the TPHA test to exclude syphilis, the FTA-ABS test as a confirmatory reaction and the VDRL test to judge the need or effectiveness of antisyphilitic treatment. These reactions which supersede the conventional syphilis tests serve for rational, reliable and cheap serological diagnosis of syphilis.