The aim of the study was to observe specific IgM-class antitreponemal antibodies in blood serum of patients with syphilis, with the use of immunoenzyme reaction CAPTIA Syphilis-M and to compare it with other routine syphilis serological reactions (VDRL, FTA-ABS and TPHA). The authors investigated the serum of the total of 200 patients with syphilis (123 men and 77 women), including 110 patients with early syphilis (not treated so far) and 90 patients with late syphilis (14 not treated subjects and 76 treated subjects). The patients were divided into subgroups depending on syphilis type. Examinations were performed with immunoenzyme reaction CAPTIA Syphilis-M and its results were compared with those obtained with the use of VDRL, FTA-ABS and TPHA reactions. Positive CAPTIA Syphilis-M results were observed in 90% of patients with early syphilis, and in only 11% of patients with late syphilis. As far as primary syphilis is concerned, this reaction was positive in 100% of subjects, while VDRL - in 56%, and TPHA and FTA-ABS - in 67% of cases. A slightly earlier negativity of CAPTIA Syphilis-M reaction when compared with VDRL was observed after therapy with penicillin. The authors presume that CAPTIA Syphilis-M is particularly useful in the diagnostics of early syphilis (especially primary syphilis) and that it is a more sensitive index of treatment efficiency than VDRL reaction.

Keywords: syphilis, serological reactions, CAPTIA Syphilis-M reaction