A Rapid Point-of-Care Test for Active Syphilis

The DPP assay, which displays separate bands for treponemal and nontreponemal antibodies, was concordant with standard serology for 93% of specimens from patients with active infection.

Although timely diagnosis of syphilis is critical to preventing morbidity and transmission, reliable diagnosis of active infection can be challenging. Treponemal antibody tests are highly specific but yield positive results for life, even after successful treatment; nontreponemal assays, such as the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test, are useful for diagnosing active infection but can be falsely positive. A new point-of-care test — the DPP Screen and Confirm Assay — simultaneously detects both treponemal and nontreponemal antibodies, indicating them as separate colored lines, and takes 15 minutes to perform.

In a cross-sectional study involving 1005 stored serum samples from two large Australian laboratories, researchers compared results of the …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

A Rapid Point-of-Care Test for Active Syphilis

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Reviewing Author