Syphilis is still a common sexually transmitted disease in many areas of the world. In 1999 the WHO estimated that the worldwide annual incidence of sexually acquired syphilis was 12 million cases. Venereal syphilis is divided into: early syphilis subdivided into primary, secondary and early latent stages; late syphilis may occur after extended periods of latent syphilis. Serological tests for syphilis include non treponemal tests that measure IgM and IgG antibodies to lipoidal material released from damaged host cells and antibodies to lipoprotein-like material and cardiolipin released from the treponemes. The most commonly used are RPR card and VDRL. The tests are used for screening and for determining the efficacy of treatment. They lack sensitivity in early primary syphilis and in late syphilis and it can appear a prozone reaction or false positive results. On the other hand, treponemal tests use Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum or its derivates (recombinant proteins). They are used as confirmatory tests and in establishing the diagnosis of late latent or late syphilis. The most commonly used tests are: FTA-ABS, TP-PA (T. pallidum particle agglutination) and TPHA (micro hemagglutination assay to T. pallidum). Several treponemal tests using enzyme immunoassays (EIA) have being used as confirmatory tests for syphilis and more recently as screening tests. They have sensitivities and specificities similar to those of the other treponemal tests. Detection methods based on chemiluminescence have received much attention due to their low background, linearity and wide dynamic range. When coupled to enzyme immunoassays, the signal amplification effect provided by the enzyme enables the design of CLIA (ChemiLuminescent ImmunoAssay) tests with shorter incubation times while keeping or improving their sensitivity.
Vircell
- це біотехнологічна компанія, що спеціалізується на розробці та виробництві готових до використання реагентів для інфекційних захворювань людини. Компанія присутня в лабораторіях понад 80 країн світу на п'яти континентах. Vircell пропонує понад 400 посилань на виявлення бактерій, вірусів, паразитів за допомогою різних методик: ІФА, хемілюмінесценція, пряма та непряма імунофлуоресценція, імунокаптаційна аглютинація, культура клітин та молекулярна біологія (олігохроматографія та контроль ПЛР).
Компанія Vircell, Гранада - Іспанія
