Mabey D., Peeling R.W., Ballard R., Benzaken A.S., Galbán E., Changalucha J., Everett D., Balira R., Fitzgerald D., Joseph P., Nerette S., Li J., Zheng H.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Fundação Alfredo da Matta, Manaus, Brazil; National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania; GHESKIO Centre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Peking Union Medical Collage, Beijing, China
Mabey, D., London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Peeling, R.W., World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; Ballard, R., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Benzaken, A.S., Fundação Alfredo da Matta, Manaus, Brazil; Galbán, E., Fundação Alfredo da Matta, Manaus, Brazil; Changalucha, J., National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania; Everett, D., National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania; Balira, R., National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania; Fitzgerald, D., GHESKIO Centre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Joseph, P., GHESKIO Centre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Nerette, S., GHESKIO Centre, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Li, J., Peking Union Medical Collage, Beijing, China; Zheng, H., Peking Union Medical Collage, Beijing, China
Objectives: To evaluate prospectively four rapid, point-of-care serological tests for syphilis in prenatal or high risk populations in four countries. Methods: Tests were performed on consecutive clinic attenders, using whole blood in the clinic, and whole blood and serum in the laboratory. The sensitivity and specificity of each test was evaluated, using a standard treponemal test (Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) or fluorescent treponemal antibody, absorbed (FTA-ABS) as gold standard. Non-treponemal tests (rapid plasma reagin (RPR) or venereal diseases research laboratory (VDRL) tests) were also performed on all subjects at three sites. Results: The specificity of each rapid test was >95% at each site. Sensitivities varied from 64-100% and, in most cases, were lower when whole blood was used rather than serum. Conclusions: Rapid serological tests for syphilis are an acceptable alternative to conventional laboratory tests. Since they do not require equipment or electricity, they could increase coverage of syphilis screening, and enable treatment to be given at the first clinic visit.