Venereal diseases can be called the scourge of our time. Diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, donovanosis, chlamydia cause irreparable harm to health and provoke dangerous consequences. It is important to understand that such ailments are highly treatable, but the effectiveness of therapeutic actions largely depends on the timely identification of the sources of inflammation.
Blood test, examination of individual tissue sections ( chancre, regional lymph nodes) help specialized specialists determine methods of influencing infectious agents of syphilis. Such studies can only be carried out in specialized medical institutions using the correct diagnostic equipment.
Many people believe that determining whether they have syphilis or another sexually transmitted disease is easy. In fact, such illnesses are often practically asymptomatic, and negative health changes indicate an advanced stage of syphilis. Often, testing a patient's blood alone is not enough. Depending on the medical history, the infectious disease doctor prescribes additional types of diagnostics.
Importance and types of tests for syphilis
Syphilis is classified as a disease transmitted from person to person through sexual contact and through direct contact with the blood or other secretions of a patient. The media often downplays the dangers of pathology, portraying it in a humorous light in films or books. You need to understand that syphilis is fatal dangerous disease. In later stages, it leads to irreversible changes in the nervous system and vital internal organs.
Laboratory testing for syphilis does not take much time. Donating blood is a simple medical procedure, but often these actions allow doctors to begin treatment on time and completely suppress syphilis at an early stage.
Despite the availability of information about the importance of systematic diagnostic procedures, people decide to have a blood test only after identifying the first signs of syphilis. Reasons for visiting a medical facility are:
- skin rashes (rash);
- the appearance of a painful ulcer on the genital organ;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
Indirect symptoms may also indicate the appearance of syphilis. For example, headaches, temperature fluctuations, hair loss, and the occurrence of condylomas lata. When several manifestations are combined, analysis becomes a necessity.
A blood test for syphilis is a mandatory condition for passing a medical examination when applying for a job, registering during pregnancy, performing surgical operations and being placed in custody. Often people hide details of their sex life, and screening tests (examination of blood samples) large quantity people) is aimed at the timely detection of syphilis and the protection of other people from infection.
Syphilis - insidious disease, and a simple examination by a dermatovenerologist is often not enough to make an accurate diagnosis. The most common types of tests include examining smears or scrapings under a microscope, studying amniotic fluid in pregnant women, and analyzing parts of an ulcer or skin. With syphilis, blood cannot be examined under a microscope.
It is important to know that if such a test gives a positive result for syphilis, then you are definitely sick. But negative readings are not a guarantee of your health. If a sexually transmitted disease is suspected, the doctor prescribes specific types of diagnostics (confirmation of syphilis).
Blood collection for syphilis testing
Probably all adults on Earth had to donate blood for analysis. Pathologies such as syphilis can be transmitted through contact, so research is required when working with people (trade activities, schools, medical institutions). The prevalence of such studies has made testing for syphilis a fairly routine procedure that does not frighten most people.
What you need to know about blood tests for syphilis? First of all, you should pay attention to the timing of the research. One of the most common mistakes- this is taking tests immediately after sexual intercourse with a possible carrier of syphilis. Indeed, you cannot delay the examination, but only in consultation with a doctor can you get accurate information about the need and time for blood sampling. Typically, such an analysis is prescribed a few days after possible infection.
In order to get the most accurate result (confirmation of syphilis), some dietary restrictions should be observed. Before taking the test, you must temporarily avoid fried foods - an increase in cholesterol levels provokes opalescence of the blood serum and distorts the result.
- indication of all medications taken at the time of possible infection medicines(antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, hormonal agents);
- strict abstinence from alcohol and nicotine (the analysis will be as accurate as possible if you limit yourself to bad habits 24 hours before the blood test);
- It is advisable not to eat for 8-10 hours before testing for syphilis.
For research procedures, blood is drawn from a vein. In rare cases, syphilis is detected by testing samples of the spinal cord.
Indications
You can get syphilis not only through casual sexual contact; the disease can also be transmitted through household contact. That is why blood testing should become a periodic procedure. The development of syphilis often does not bother the patient in any way, and the first signs of pathology become an unpleasant surprise for both the infected person and his relatives.
In addition to the obvious reasons for taking tests for syphilis (pregnancy, a medical commission before serving in the army, getting a job that involves contact with a large number of people), tests are necessary for voluntary donors, children born from parents with suspected syphilis, people whose professional activities are associated with an increased risk of syphilis infection.
Analysis transcript
You will have to donate blood for testing several times. It is important to understand that a negative result does not always guarantee the absence of syphilis. The error is at least 10%. The accuracy of the analysis can be affected by both external and internal factors.
The main reasons for a false positive or false negative test result for syphilis:
- concomitant diseases of the endocrine or cardiovascular system (endocarditis, diabetes may distort the analysis indicators);
- infectious pathologies (blood with viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, mononucleosis is oversaturated with antibodies).
The analyzes are deciphered by specialized specialists from medical laboratories. Syphilis is considered proven at a certain concentration of antibodies. In modern medicine, several types of tests are used.
Serological nonspecific tests. This test for syphilis is indicated for mild symptoms of the disease or its complete absence.
Syphilis is detected if:
- (MR) antibody precipitation microreactions range from 1:2 to 1:320. To confirm the diagnosis, blood is taken from a finger one month after possible infection;
- (RW) Wasserman reaction titers reached 1:2 - 1:800. The analysis is performed no earlier than 5-6 weeks after contact with a patient with syphilis.
Specific serological tests. Analysis of antibodies that arise as a reaction of the body to syphilis.
Syphilis disease is considered confirmed if:
- (RIF) immunofluorescence reactions (analysis of venous, capillary blood) are indicated on the card from one to four “+”;
- (RPGA) mixing a small amount of blood with red blood cells of a rooster or ram causes gluing of microbodies;
- (ELISA) enzyme immunoassay revealed such groups of antibodies as IgA, IgM, IgG;
- (RIBT) study of Treponema pallidum (the causative agent of syphilis) the percentage of immobilization exceeds 50%.
Syphilis is rarely detected during the first examination. Very often, additional or repeated studies are prescribed to confirm the results.
Prices and clinics
Testing for syphilis is performed by many clinics in Moscow. Before choosing a medical center and a dermatovenerologist, you should study the reputation of the specialist and reviews of people who have undergone research. Here you will find the addresses and contact details of all major laboratories in the capital and can make an appointment with the doctor.
Syphilis is considered one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases today. The chance of becoming infected through sexual contact with a sick person can be up to 97%. The contagiousness of this disease largely depends on its stage in the patient. The first stage, in which ulcers rich in Treponema pallidum form in the mouth, rectum and genitals, is considered the most dangerous, and the third is the least contagious.
Therefore, at the first suspicion of infection with spirochetes, you should consult a doctor, especially if rashes or sores appear on the skin or mucous membranes, 3-4 weeks after the last sexual intercourse. If the doctor shares the patient’s suspicions, then he directs him to be tested for syphilis.
A fasting test for syphilis can be a blood sample of the following type:
- Complement fixation reaction;
- Passive hemagglutination reaction;
- Treponema pallidum immobilization reaction;
- Immunofluorescence reaction.
Regardless of the type of blood sample, preparing for a syphilis test will include several steps that are not difficult to complete. So, how do you test for syphilis? Since in most cases the presence of treponema pallidum in the body can be judged by a blood sample, at the time of donation it is necessary to do everything possible so that nothing could affect the composition of the blood, thereby distorting the result of the study and producing a false positive or false negative result. Therefore, at least 2 days before donating blood for syphilis on an empty stomach, patients are advised to protect themselves from excessive physical activity, which can lead to release into the blood excessive quantity various hormones, stop taking alcoholic drinks and fatty foods. Blood collection is done in the morning on an empty stomach, so before the test a person is advised not to eat for at least 8 hours, and not to drink anything except water in the morning. Drinking tea, juice, coffee, and sweet water is not recommended so as not to distort test results. Also, in preparation for taking a sample for syphilis, you should stop smoking at least 1 hour before donating blood on an empty stomach.
But, even knowing how the test for syphilis is done, you need to take into account that it can be done differently, depending on what is being tested and in what way. Thus, a precipitation microreaction sample is made from blood taken from a finger. At the same time, they look for specific antibodies that the body produces in response to damage to cells by Treponema pallidum. To obtain the correct result from a microreaction, it is important not only the conscious behavior of the person from whom the sample is taken, but also of the health worker performing the blood sampling procedure and its examination. And if the first one did everything in his power to ensure that the collection on an empty stomach gave an accurate result, then errors on the part of the health worker can still show both false positive and false negative results. Such errors include:
- errors in the collection process;
- exclusion of control check results;
- the use of a poorly mixed emulsion, as a result of which the concentration of the antigen in it will be uneven;
- the use of an emulsion that has been subjected to bacterial contamination;
- use solutions, plates, pipettes or test tubes that have not undergone the necessary sterile processing.
In addition to blood samples for spirochetes from a finger, sometimes other tests are taken, in particular when blood samples are negative, but if there are symptoms characteristic of treponema pallidum in humans, cerebrospinal fluid is taken for examination. Preparation for collecting cerebrospinal fluid is somewhat different, which is necessary for a high-quality blood test. It includes:
- An explanation of why and how much cerebrospinal fluid will be taken.
- Agreement between the doctor and the patient on the place and time of the puncture. It should be discussed in advance who will take it.
- Preparing the patient for possible pain in the head that arises during the research process. Explanations about the importance of following the doctor's instructions to reduce its intensity.
- The patient is required to obtain his written consent for the procedure, and, if necessary, the consent of his relatives.
- Before the procedure, the person's vital signs are taken to determine his normal condition after the cerebrospinal fluid is collected.
But here is the main requirement for
Often young people who do not have experience and knowledge in medicine do not know what syphilis is and, due to their inexperience, make mistakes and waste precious time. You need to know that syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection. The disease is caused by a spirochete bacterium, which, when it enters the bloodstream, causes the body to react in the form of antibodies.
The most accurate and reliable test for syphilis is RPHA, which stands for passive hemagglutination reaction. This is a so-called specific test because it detects antibodies produced by the body when spirochete bacteria enter the bloodstream.
None of the tests gives a 100% guarantee that the diagnosis is correct. Therefore, in practice, 2 or 3 research methods are used to mutually confirm or refute the diagnosis. Best results obtained from methods based on the use of blood serum due to the antibodies present there. Such analyzes take place in two directions:
- Non-specific tests, which are not precise, but are simple and quick and are suitable for detecting syphilis in a large group of people.
- Specific tests have a high degree of reliability and are prescribed to confirm the diagnosis.
In this or that case, only a specialist can give an assessment, but patients also have the right to know how the test for syphilis is taken.
Not specific:
- Microprecipitation reaction (MPR), which uses blood from a finger. The RMP test is effective after a month of infection with syphilis. The RMP method is used for the primary detection of syphilis. If the RMP reaction is positive, the doctor prescribes additional tests. Blood is taken on an empty stomach, so after dinner at 20-00 it is recommended not to eat fatty, spicy, or drink alcoholic beverages. Don't have breakfast in the morning and get your blood tested. During this period you can drink only still water. The RMP method is simple, it gives a quick response to the cause of the disease and is therefore suitable for mass testing large groups of people. The method is effective after 3 weeks of infection;
- Wasserman reaction (PB, RW), using blood from a vein. The method is in many ways similar to the previous one, but is less sensitive. Effective 6-8 weeks after infection. Blood is donated on an empty stomach. If the reaction is positive, then additional tests are prescribed.
Specific:
- Immunofluorescence reaction (RIF - Koons method), used using venous blood, diagnoses syphilis on early stage. Using this method, antibodies produced in the blood are illuminated in ultraviolet light and this glow is visible under a microscope. This method has a high degree of reliability after 6-8 months of infection;
- The passive agglutination reaction (RPGA), using the same venous blood, has a high degree of sensitivity. The property is used when red blood cells of healthy and infected blood stick together, which is visible under a microscope. This method is often used as an initial contamination analysis and requires confirmation by other methods;
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) consists of components - an immune and enzymatic reaction, and provides a high degree of reliability of the result. It is based on an analysis of the quantity and quality of antibodies in the blood of people infected with syphilis. Gives a greater degree of reliability of results at 3 weeks after infection and subsequently throughout the entire duration of the disease. This method is not suitable as a test to confirm the fact that the patient has been completely cured, since a positive reaction can last a lifetime;
- The Treponema pallidum immobilization test (TPI) provides good reliability after 12 weeks of infection. It is based on the reaction of the spirochete pathogen to freeze in a certain environment. Under a microscope, you can see how many percent of bacteria have frozen and this gives grounds to draw conclusions about the disease. This method is objectively necessary to verify that a patient has been cured of syphilis. It can confirm the disappearance of antibodies produced by the human immune system when spirochete bacteria enter the blood;
- Immunoblotting is using the latest method Using the achievements of modern technology, antibodies are detected using radioisotope or enzymatic methods. The materials are being studied by comparing the radioisotope radiation of the patient’s samples with the control ones, and if the spectrum matches, the confirmation of the reaction is almost 100%. The method requires expensive equipment and materials, as well as highly qualified personnel.
All of the above research methods, except the last one, can give a false positive reaction due to various obstacles, and are not 100% reliable. But in a combination of 2-3 methods, the reliability is almost 100%. If patients have additional diseases and take medications for them, then obtaining a false result is very likely.
You must remember that you must always closely monitor your health. Avoid casual sex and use protection.
A test for syphilis is prescribed if there are signs indicating the possibility of the disease, for preventive purposes (the study is carried out as part of a medical examination of health workers, employees of child care institutions and enterprises Catering, during hospitalization, registration for a swimming pool, etc.), it can also be donated at will if there is a suspicion of possible infection.
Syphilis is a chronic systemic infection, the causative agent of which is Treponema pallidum.
The diagnosis is established on the basis of medical history, existing clinical manifestations, and laboratory test results.
The doctor writing the referral will explain what tests to take, what they show, and how long it will take for the results to be ready.
The main laboratory methods for diagnosing syphilis include PCR, as well as serological research methods: RMP, RIF, ELISA, RPGA.
Indications for laboratory diagnosis of syphilis
Syphilis tests can be taken anonymously, but if there is a need for a document certifying the absence of syphilis, it is recommended to conduct the test under your own name, since anonymous results are not accepted by official institutions.
Medical indications for testing for syphilis are:
- the presence of clinical signs of syphilis (detection of genital ulcers, syphilides, etc.);
- close household contact or sexual relations with a patient with syphilis;
- identifying other sexually transmitted infections in the patient;
- the birth of a child from a mother with syphilis;
- pregnancy planning;
- registration during pregnancy;
- examination before planned surgery.
Preparation for analysis, possible errors, expiration date of the result
Blood for testing for syphilis is taken in the morning on an empty stomach (the pause after eating should be 8–12 hours). On the eve of the study, fatty foods and alcoholic drinks should be excluded from the diet. It is not recommended to smoke before taking the test. Before taking blood for analysis, you can drink plain water.
False-positive results are possible during pregnancy, tuberculosis, diabetes, cancer, drug addiction and alcoholism, viral hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, and after vaccination.
A modern analogue of the Wasserman test, which was widely used to detect syphilis earlier, but is now considered obsolete due to frequent errors, is the anticardiolipin test (RPR).
If a negative result is obtained, early primary and late tertiary syphilis cannot be ruled out. If a questionable result is obtained, it is recommended to repeat the study after 10–14 days. If antibodies to Treponema pallidum are detected in a patient, a quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is recommended.
The shelf life of the test result for syphilis depends on the purpose for which the study was carried out. Thus, when researching as part of a regular medical examination of employees, the research result is usually valid for a year, for pregnant women - for one trimester, for people at risk (for example, injection drug addicts or people employed in the sex industry) the period may be shorter .
Types of tests for syphilis
There are two types of tests for syphilis.
- Non-treponemal. These tests detect antibodies to lipids and phospholipids from the patient's damaged cells. For this reason, the positive result of these methods may be due not only to the presence of syphilis, but also to other pathologies. Non-treponemal tests are commonly used for screening, treatment monitoring and cure, as they allow immediate analysis. If you receive a positive result from the non-treponemal test, it is recommended to take a detailed test for syphilis. These include the Wasserman reaction, anticardiolipin test, etc.
- Treponemal. These tests are more accurate but also more complex, so they are used to confirm a positive result from screening tests. These studies have a lower rate of false positive results. Treponemal tests include the passive hemagglutination reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting, immunofluorescence reaction (RIF), and immobilization reaction.
Syphilis tests can be taken anonymously, but if there is a need for a document certifying the absence of syphilis, it is recommended to conduct the test under your own name, since anonymous results are not accepted by official institutions.
Transmission of syphilis through urine has not been proven; the pathogen is detected in the patient’s saliva. The main laboratory methods for diagnosing syphilis include PCR, as well as serological research methods: RMP (microprecipitation reaction), RIF, ELISA, RPHA (direct hemagglutination reaction). In addition, microscopy, culture diagnostics, etc. can be used.
A modern analogue of the Wasserman test, which was widely used to detect syphilis earlier, but is now considered obsolete due to frequent errors, is the anticardiolipin test (RPR). The method consists of detecting IgG and IgM antibodies to lipoid and lipoprotein-like material released from the patient’s damaged cells. In patients with primary syphilis, antibodies are detected in 70-80% of cases, in patients with secondary or early latent syphilis - in almost 100% of cases. In 90-98% of patients, after treatment, the results of the anticardiolipin test become negative. Since this test is not specific, in some cases it is possible to obtain false positive results (for example, in autoimmune diseases).
Laboratory test results are usually ready the next business day after blood donation (turnaround time may vary depending on the methods used). If necessary, obtain quick results resort to rapid tests.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a chronic venereal disease that has three distinct stages in its course: primary, secondary and tertiary. Currently, primary and secondary syphilis are successfully treated; at the tertiary stage, irreversible changes develop in the body.
False-positive test results for syphilis are possible during pregnancy, tuberculosis, diabetes, cancer, drug addiction and alcoholism, viral hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, and after vaccination.
Routes of transmission
The disease is transmitted primarily through sexual contact; it is also possible to become infected through blood (during blood transfusions, among injection drug addicts), through household contact (using shared razors, toothbrushes, and also when using other common household items with a patient with tertiary syphilis with open syphilitic ulcers or gums ), only in the presence of hard chancre in the oral cavity. It is possible for a child to become infected at the prenatal stage of development, if breastfeeding(even in the absence of visible lesions of the mother’s mammary gland). Transplacental transmission of infection from a sick mother may result in fetal death, premature birth, or the birth of a child with congenital defects. Is at risk medical staff, which may become infected during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
Primary syphilis
On average, the incubation period of syphilis is three weeks, during which tests may show a negative result even if infection is present. After the lapse of incubation period at the site of introduction of the infectious agent, a painless ulceration with a dense bottom and raised edges occurs, the so-called chancre (primary syphiloma). In addition, regional lymphadenitis develops. A shortening of the incubation period, as a rule, is observed in the case of simultaneous infection of a person from two or more sources, an extension - when taking antibacterial drugs for another reason after infection.
The duration of primary syphilis is 6-7 weeks, it ends with spontaneous resolution of chancroid and, if treatment is not carried out at this stage, its transition to another stage.
If a questionable result is obtained, it is recommended to repeat the study after 10–14 days.
Secondary syphilis
Start this stage is characterized by the appearance of specific rashes (roseolous, pustular, papular), so-called syphilides, on the patient’s skin and mucous membranes. With secondary syphilis, focal hair loss, damage to the nervous system, increased body temperature to subfebrile levels, weakness, fatigue, runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis may be observed. The rash disappears after a few weeks, after which the disease enters a latent phase, which can last from several months to several years (in some cases 10-20 years or more). During the latent phase, when the patient’s immunity is weakened, exacerbations are possible. With inadequate treatment or lack of treatment for secondary syphilis, the disease progresses to the stage of tertiary syphilis.
Tertiary syphilis
At the stage of tertiary syphilis, damage to all organs and tissues occurs. Syphilitic gummas (nodules in tissues that irreversibly destroy them and resolve with the formation of rough scars) form on the skin and internal organs. Patients with tertiary syphilis are often affected nervous system(neurosyphilis), paresis, paralysis, deterioration of memory, attention, and thinking are observed. Exacerbations of the disease are usually associated with a decrease in the patient's immunity. Without treatment at this stage of the disease, the patient may develop complications and may die.
Atypical syphilis
In rare cases, untreated patients with secondary syphilis remain asymptomatic carriers of Treponema pallidum for the rest of their lives, and they do not develop lesions characteristic of tertiary syphilis.
If antibodies to Treponema pallidum are detected in a patient, a quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is recommended.
In some cases, there are no manifestations of primary syphilis (for example, when a person is infected during a blood transfusion from an infected donor, that is, when the pathogen enters directly into the blood). In addition, this happens when hard chancre is localized in places where it is difficult to detect (for example, on the cervix).
Congenital syphilis
The clinical picture of congenital syphilis is caused by the action of Treponema pallidum on the tissue of the developing fetus. It manifests itself as congenital deafness, dental hypoplasia, parenchymal syphilitic keratitis. Even if the pathogen is destroyed in the body of a patient with a congenital form of syphilis, the defects formed during prenatal period, remain.
Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:
Logon is a modern medical center, equipped in accordance with all requirements recent years. Logon truly meets the highest standards and deservedly receives comparisons with leading European clinics.
Logon works in close cooperation with a laboratory that has the most modern technical equipment. By contacting this medical center with suspected syphilis, you can donate blood as soon as possible. The best doctors will conduct a blood test to detect antibodies to syphilis and immediately inform you of the results. The procedure will be completely painless.
The medical center has established a strict procedure for collecting tests for syphilis. The patient must donate blood in the morning, abstaining from food for at least 8 hours beforehand. You can drink water, but in small quantities. Blood is taken from a vein; the test cannot be replaced by taking blood from a finger.
The doctor will notify the patient that there are a number of factors that may distort the test result. If the sick client has diabetes, pneumonia, or is a pregnant woman, the test may show the presence of syphilis even if it is not present. In this case, a repeat analysis will be carried out, which will give a more reliable result.
The main advantage of the Logon center is the desire of its employees to help every patient. Logon works without a break on holidays and weekends. The client can get the help he needs any day.
Service in Logon is notable for its low prices. An analysis that will confirm or deny the presence of syphilis in a patient will cost him no more than 2,000 rubles. Anyone can find out the exact prices at the reception of the medical center or its call center, which can be contacted at +7 495 921-35-68.
About tests for syphilis
Syphilis is an insidious disease that manifests itself with individual symptoms in each patient. Detecting it through a blood test is not the easiest task. To determine syphilis, doctors will certainly need blood from the patient’s vein, his cerebrospinal fluid, ulcer discharge and fragments of lymph nodes.
Classification of methods for laboratory diagnosis of disease
When starting to work with a new patient, the doctor can use the bacterioscopic method. Its essence lies in the search for Treponema pallidum, which is the causative agent of syphilis. After this, the doctor moves on to serological tests. But the bacteriological method in determining syphilis will be completely useless, because treponema does not grow under artificial conditions, even when its life support systems are maintained with the necessary nutrient medium.
Modern methods for searching for treponema are usually divided into two groups: direct and indirect. Direct methods are simpler. In their case, doctors try to detect the microbe itself in the obtained biological material. Direct methods include:
- dark field microscopy;
- RIT test, which assumes that guinea pigs will be infected with material obtained from the patient;
- PCR demonstrating regions of the Treponema genetic footprint.
Indirect methods, also called serological, are not based on searching for treponema. Their task is to find antibodies produced by the body itself to fight the microbe. Indirect methods are usually divided into non-treponemal and treponemal. These techniques are very complex, and in Russia there are few specialists who can carry them out at a sufficiently high level.
Direct tests
One of the most reliable ways to diagnose syphilis is considered to be searching for treponemes under a microscope. If treponema is detected, the doctor can report with 97% confidence that the patient has syphilis. However, the absence of treponemes in biological material does not mean that the patient is healthy. This causative agent of syphilis is found in only 80% of patients.
This diagnosis is carried out twice: after the patient’s first visit to the clinic and after the appearance of a skin rash or chancre visible to the eye. It is in the material obtained from them that the search for treponemes will be carried out.
A more reliable, and therefore more expensive, analysis is to search for treponemes under a microscope, in which the material is treated with fluorescent antibodies. It is their high cost that increases the price of analysis. However, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of these antibodies: they find treponemes, stick to them and highlight the affected areas so that it will definitely be noticeable through a microscope.
This method will be especially effective in the early stages of the disease. Its reliability decreases if syphilis has progressed or has been exposed to some medications or antiseptics.
The RIT test, which was described above, is another reliable way to diagnose syphilis. But it has one significant drawback. It will take a long time for a rabbit infected with the patient’s biological material to begin to show the first symptoms, and with syphilis, every minute is precious to the patient.
Non-treponemal tests
One of the most popular non-treponemal tests is the Wasserman reaction. This is a quick and relatively reliable way to diagnose a patient with syphilis. To implement it, antibodies are isolated from the patient’s blood that are exposed to treponema and cardiolipin. As a result of the experiment, the antibodies are modified and flakes should form, which will become reliable evidence of the presence of syphilis.
In Russia, Wasserman's reaction did not gain wide popularity. Domestic specialists are more fond of its analogue - the microprecipitation reaction. They blame the lack of the Wasserman reaction on the frequent receipt of false positive results caused by the presence of other diseases in the patient. Therefore, even if the Wasserman reaction gives a positive result, doctors are in no hurry to inform the patient that he has syphilis, but turn to additional and more accurate diagnostic methods.
The Wasserman reaction can detect syphilis only 2 months after the patient is infected. The microprecipitation reaction has similar timing. In addition, it can also give a false positive result, although not so often.
Can a syphilis test be wrong?
Testing for syphilis can indeed be wrong. Moreover, in medical practice this happens quite often. Even the most reliable non-treponemal method - RMP - sometimes gives unreliable results. Most often this is due to the fact that the patient does not have syphilis, but another disease. A false positive result can be given by tuberculosis, brucellosis, leptospirosis, diabetes mellitus, cancer, pregnancy, postpartum condition, cirrhosis and many other medical circumstances. When doctors have doubts about the results of non-treponemal tests, they inevitably have to turn to treponemal tests for help.
Treponemal tests
One of the most popular treponemal tests throughout the world is the rapid plasma reagin test. To implement it, doctors use cardiolipin antigen.
A little less popular, but also widespread in the world, is the toluidine red test. These treponemal methods not only make it possible to diagnose syphilis, but also give the doctor information about how effective the treatment he proposes may be.
After completing the treatment course, doctors use non-treponemal tests. They are ideal for diagnosing the absence of disease. If the test gives a negative result, we can assume with 99.9% confidence that it is correct, and the patient really no longer has syphilis. These tests will make sense no earlier than 3 months after the complete course of treatment.
Rules for obtaining a test for syphilis
In order to receive a referral for a test that diagnoses syphilis, a person should contact a therapist at his place of registration, and he will prescribe required document. Considering the speed of free medicine in Russia, there is a way to do this faster and directly contact a private laboratory.
Lack of food 8 hours before the analysis is the main, but not the only condition for its successful implementation. It is equally important to completely eliminate any fatty foods and alcohol from your diet within 2 days.
The test is taken from the cubital vein, but some laboratories also take a blood sample from a finger prick.
Tests for syphilis do not take doctors much time. A paid laboratory will inform the patient of their results the very next day. A blood test for syphilis will be valid for no more than three months.
If the analysis confirms that the patient has syphilis, he should contact a dermatovenerologist at his place of registration or choose a specialist from a paid medical center who, after analyzing all available information, will prescribe the correct course of treatment.
Syphilis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum. This microorganism spreads easily through sexual or close household contact. Amazes internal organs, reproduces quickly, but does not “love” high temperatures and dryness. At low temperatures and humidity, treponema is able to survive and reproduce.
Ways of infection with syphilis
Syphilis is spread through:
- sexual contact
- mother's milk to the baby during feeding
- intrauterine contact
- household method(use of the same household items)
- saliva
- patient's blood
Types of syphilis
Based on their origin, they are classified as congenital or acquired.
According to the stage of the disease - primary, secondary, tertiary.
Depending on the time of appearance, it is divided into early/late syphilis.
Treatment of syphilis
Who is treated for syphilis, how long does treatment last?
A dermatovenerologist treats syphilis. The treatment process for syphilis is quite long. If early syphilis is detected, treatment takes approximately two or three months, if late syphilis, then the treatment process can take two or more years. Strict abstinence from sexual activity and extreme care in everyday life towards cohabitants are observed. All of them are prescribed prophylaxis to avoid infection.
What does the treatment of syphilis consist of and is it possible to cure it using unconventional methods?
The most effective method treatment for syphilis is intravenous administration penicillin drugs in a hospital under the supervision of a physician. The course of treatment is 24 days. The drug is administered every 3 hours. If the patient is allergic to these drugs or the treatment is ineffective, tetracyclines are prescribed. The patient also undergoes immunotherapy and takes vitamins.
How to prevent family members from becoming infected with syphilis
It is quite easy to become infected with syphilis, especially if it appears on the skin. Therefore, the patient must have his own household items (dishes, towels, soap, bedding, etc.). At the infection stage there should be no physical contact with the patient.
You can plan a pregnancy after being treated for syphilis
You can plan a pregnancy, provided that the woman has been thoroughly treated, doctors have diagnosed a complete recovery and removed her from the register. And even in this case, it is necessary to be examined first; examinations are also carried out during pregnancy. It would be useful to undergo preventive therapy.
