Evaluation of the Rapid Plasma Reagin 'Teardrop' Card Test for screening of syphilis in field conditions

E Van Dyck; L Van de Velden; I Ndoye; P Piot; A Meheus

Evaluation of the Rapid Plasma Reagin 'Teardrop' Card Test for screening of syphilis in field conditions

E Van Dyck, L Van de Velden, I Ndoye, P Piot, A Meheus

Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review

Abstract

Background and objectives: The availability of simple diagnostic methods may contribute to more efficient control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in developing countries. For the detection of syphilis, a simple rapid plasma reagin (RPR) ''teardrop'' assay for finger-prick blood samples was developed in 1962. The reliability of this test is compared with RPR, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) assays performed on venous blood samples.

Goal of this study: To evaluate the potential usefulness of the finger-stick RPR teardrop assay for diagnosis of syphilis in settings with poor medical resources.

Study design: Pregnant women evaluated at two health centers in Pikine, Senegal were tested for STDs. The RPR teardrop assay was performed on plasma from blood samples obtained by finger prick, and standard RPR, TPHA, and FTA-Abs procedures were performed on serum obtained by vein puncture.

Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the finger-prick RPR teardrop assay were 69.7% and 96.5%, respectively, and its reactivity was correlated with RPR serum antibody titer.

Conclusion: The finger-prick RPR teardrop assay is not a reliable alternative to the classic serum RPR test.

Original language	English
Journal	Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Volume	20
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	194-197
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0148-5717
Publication status	Published - 1993

Keywords

B780-tropical-medicine
STD
Sexually transmitted diseases
Bacterial diseases
Syphilis
Screening
Teardrops
RPR
TPHA
FTA
Laboratory medicine
Diagnosis
Senegal
Africa-West

Cite this

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title = "Evaluation of the Rapid Plasma Reagin 'Teardrop' Card Test for screening of syphilis in field conditions",

abstract = "Background and objectives: The availability of simple diagnostic methods may contribute to more efficient control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in developing countries. For the detection of syphilis, a simple rapid plasma reagin (RPR) ''teardrop'' assay for finger-prick blood samples was developed in 1962. The reliability of this test is compared with RPR, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) assays performed on venous blood samples.Goal of this study: To evaluate the potential usefulness of the finger-stick RPR teardrop assay for diagnosis of syphilis in settings with poor medical resources.Study design: Pregnant women evaluated at two health centers in Pikine, Senegal were tested for STDs. The RPR teardrop assay was performed on plasma from blood samples obtained by finger prick, and standard RPR, TPHA, and FTA-Abs procedures were performed on serum obtained by vein puncture.Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the finger-prick RPR teardrop assay were 69.7% and 96.5%, respectively, and its reactivity was correlated with RPR serum antibody titer.Conclusion: The finger-prick RPR teardrop assay is not a reliable alternative to the classic serum RPR test.",

keywords = "B780-tropical-medicine, STD, Sexually transmitted diseases, Bacterial diseases, Syphilis, Screening, Teardrops, RPR, TPHA, FTA, Laboratory medicine, Diagnosis, Senegal, Africa-West",

author = "{Van Dyck}, E and {Van de Velden}, L and I Ndoye and P Piot and A Meheus",

note = "FTX: Available in ITM print journal collection",

year = "1993",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

pages = "194--197",

journal = "Sexually Transmitted Diseases",

issn = "0148-5717",

publisher = "Lippincott Williams & Wilkins",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluation of the Rapid Plasma Reagin 'Teardrop' Card Test for screening of syphilis in field conditions

AU - Van Dyck, E

AU - Van de Velden, L

AU - Ndoye, I

AU - Piot, P

AU - Meheus, A

N1 - FTX: Available in ITM print journal collection

PY - 1993

Y1 - 1993

N2 - Background and objectives: The availability of simple diagnostic methods may contribute to more efficient control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in developing countries. For the detection of syphilis, a simple rapid plasma reagin (RPR) ''teardrop'' assay for finger-prick blood samples was developed in 1962. The reliability of this test is compared with RPR, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) assays performed on venous blood samples.Goal of this study: To evaluate the potential usefulness of the finger-stick RPR teardrop assay for diagnosis of syphilis in settings with poor medical resources.Study design: Pregnant women evaluated at two health centers in Pikine, Senegal were tested for STDs. The RPR teardrop assay was performed on plasma from blood samples obtained by finger prick, and standard RPR, TPHA, and FTA-Abs procedures were performed on serum obtained by vein puncture.Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the finger-prick RPR teardrop assay were 69.7% and 96.5%, respectively, and its reactivity was correlated with RPR serum antibody titer.Conclusion: The finger-prick RPR teardrop assay is not a reliable alternative to the classic serum RPR test.

AB - Background and objectives: The availability of simple diagnostic methods may contribute to more efficient control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in developing countries. For the detection of syphilis, a simple rapid plasma reagin (RPR) ''teardrop'' assay for finger-prick blood samples was developed in 1962. The reliability of this test is compared with RPR, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA), and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) assays performed on venous blood samples.Goal of this study: To evaluate the potential usefulness of the finger-stick RPR teardrop assay for diagnosis of syphilis in settings with poor medical resources.Study design: Pregnant women evaluated at two health centers in Pikine, Senegal were tested for STDs. The RPR teardrop assay was performed on plasma from blood samples obtained by finger prick, and standard RPR, TPHA, and FTA-Abs procedures were performed on serum obtained by vein puncture.Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the finger-prick RPR teardrop assay were 69.7% and 96.5%, respectively, and its reactivity was correlated with RPR serum antibody titer.Conclusion: The finger-prick RPR teardrop assay is not a reliable alternative to the classic serum RPR test.

KW - B780-tropical-medicine

KW - STD

KW - Sexually transmitted diseases

KW - Bacterial diseases

KW - Syphilis

KW - Screening

KW - Teardrops

KW - RPR

KW - TPHA

KW - FTA

KW - Laboratory medicine

KW - Diagnosis

KW - Senegal

KW - Africa-West

UR - https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:A1993LN53500003

M3 - A1: Web of Science-article

SN - 0148-5717

VL - 20

SP - 194

EP - 197

JO - Sexually Transmitted Diseases

JF - Sexually Transmitted Diseases

IS - 4

ER -

Evaluation of the Rapid Plasma Reagin 'Teardrop' Card Test for screening of syphilis in field conditions

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