INVESTIGATION OF TREPONEMA PALLIDUM ANTIBODY TITER BY USING TPHA AND RPR IN NATIONAL HOSPITAL OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY
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Abstract
Syphilis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Vietnam and worldwide. Untreated syphilis can cause damage to the nervous system, cardiovascular system, liver, bone, and other complications. Method: This cross-sectional study aimed to measure the levels of syphilis antibody titer using Treponema pallidum hemagglutination antibody (TPHA) and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) simultaneously. Blood specimens were collected from 206 males and 120 females who attended the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology from October 2021 to December 2021. Results: Of 326 blood specimens, 274 (84.0%) and 165 (50.6%) were positive for TPHA and RPR, respectively. The specimens with a high level of antibody titer in TPHA (≥10240) and RPR (≥32) testings were 59 (18.1%) and 48 (14.7%), respectively. The prevalence of high titer was lower in females than males for both TPHA and RPR testings. There was no significant difference in high titer between attendees with and without STI diagnostics. Conclusions: This study showed the high seroprevalence of syphilis among patients who attended the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology. Both qualitative and quantitative TPHA and RPR should be recommended for syphilis screening and diagnosing.
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Keywords
: RPR, TPHA, antibody titer, syphilis
References

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