PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bazzo, Maria Luiza
AU  - da Motta, Leonardo Rapone
AU  - Rudolf-Oliveira, Renata Cristina Messores
AU  - Bigolin, Alisson
AU  - Golfetto, Lisléia
AU  - Mesquita, Fábio
AU  - Benzaken, Adele Schwartz
AU  - Gaspar, Pamela Cristina
AU  - Pires, Ana Flavia Nacif P Coelho
AU  - Ferreira Júnior, Orlando da Costa
AU  - Franchini, Miriam
TI  - Evaluation of seven rapid tests for syphilis available in Brazil using defibrinated plasma panels
AID  - 10.1136/sextrans-2017-053177
DP  - 2017 Dec 01
TA  - Sexually Transmitted Infections
PG  - S46--S50
VI  - 93
IP  - S4
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/93/S4/S46.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/93/S4/S46.full
SO  - Sex Transm Infect2017 Dec 01; 93
AB  - Objectives In 2012, the WHO estimated that 6 million new cases of syphilis per year would occur worldwide, including 937 000 in Brazil. Early diagnosis and treatment of syphilis are essential to reduce morbidity and prevent transmission. The availability of rapid tests (RTs) for this diagnosis means that testing can be performed more quickly, as a point-of-care test, even in non-laboratory environments and requires only simple technical training to antibodies detection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and operational aspects of seven commercially available RTs for syphilis in Brazil.Methods Seven rapid treponemal tests were evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Kappa value, according to a panel composed of 493 members. The operational performance of the assay was also determined for these tests.Results The seven RTs showed sensitivity ranging from 94.5% to 100% when compared with the reference tests and specificity of between 91.5% and 100%. All the RTs evaluated presented good operational performance, and only one failed to present the minimum specificity as defined by Brazil’s Ministry of Health.Conclusion All the tests presented good operational performance, and the professionals who performed them considered them to be easy to use and interpret. This evaluation is important for making informed choices of tests to be used in the Brazilian Unified Health System.