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Syphilis: an immunoenzymatic method for diagnosis of syphilis
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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Treponemal antibodies of class IgM in serum in healthy people are not determined.
Of all serological diagnostic methods for syphilis, the ELISA method is the most sensitive (over 95%) and specific (100%). When it is used, specific (treponemal) antibodies of IgM and IgG are detected. IgM antibodies are of great importance for diagnosis of primary, secondary and congenital syphilis. Identification of antibodies IgM indicates the presence of the patient's primary, secondary or congenital syphilis. Antibodies of IgM class are detected in serum from the 2nd week after infection. In the process of treatment, the IgM class antibody content in the patient decreases. By their number, you can monitor the effectiveness of the treatment. After successful treatment, the IgM class antibody content is reduced to negative results. The determination of antibodies of IgM class is of great importance for diagnosis of early forms of congenital syphilis, differential diagnosis of relapses, reinfection. The test for the determination of IgM antibodies can be negative in some cases of late latent syphilis and neurosyphilis. IgA antibody detection by ELISA has a very high sensitivity for congenital syphilis (100%) and a lower sensitivity for primary syphilis (82%), secondary (60%), latent (53%), neurosyphilis (34%) and tertiary syphilis (11 %) and very high specificity.
Antibodies of the IgG class appear in the acute period of the disease and can persist for the cured patients for life.
The ELISA method is used to diagnose syphilis, differentiate false positive results obtained in MP, and control the effectiveness of treatment.