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- Published on: 15 January 2001
- Published on: 8 December 2000
- Published on: 15 January 2001Reactivated syphilis - Author's responseDear EditorShow More
Mr McElborough considers it unfortunate that reference labs may have developed their algorithms in the case of conventional syphilis diagnosis and these do little to help with HIV coinfected patients. Guidelines for serological diagnosis in coexisting HIV infection, neurosyphilis and congenital infection are currently under preparation by the (Public Health Laboratory Service) PHLS Syphilis Forum and will...
Conflict of Interest:
None declared. - Published on: 8 December 2000Reactivated syphilisDear Editor,Show More
In our area the high HIV prevalence has made the interpretation of syphilis tests paticularly problematic. Coinfected patients do appear to reactivate their treponemal infection or possibly reinfection with a different "strain" in the presence of profound immunosuppression. As with some other agents IgM can persist for several years with peaks and troughs! Non-treponemal tests are uniformly negative whilst...
Conflict of Interest:
None declared.