PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Macfarlane, D E
AU  - Elias-Jones, T F
TI  - Screening tests for syphilis. A comparison of the Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay with two automated serological tests.
AID  - 10.1136/sti.53.6.348
DP  - 1977 Dec 01
TA  - The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
PG  - 348--352
VI  - 53
IP  - 6
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/53/6/348.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/53/6/348.full
SO  - Br J Vener Dis1977 Dec 01; 53
AB  - Two Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) tests (Wellcome and Fuzizoki) were compared with the automated reagin test and the automated Reiter protein complement-fixation test in a routine screening system. The Wellcome TPHA was shown to lack sensitivity, and it is recommended that it should be used at a lower screening dilution. The Fuzizoki TPHA recorded a significant number of false positive and false negative results, and was therefore inferior to the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test as a definitive test for syphilis. It is suggested that the TPHA be used in conjunction with a reagin test to replace some of the more inadequate screening tests currently in use. The automated screening tests were shown to have a similar sensitivity to the TPHA as well as several other advantages; they are recommended for testing large numbers of specimens.