[Value of TPHA in the serological screening of lues]

In the present work, 21,400 not selected sera were tested with hemagglutination test (TPHA) and flocculation test (VDRL) with cardiolipin for screening of syphilis; sera that gave negative results against both tests showed remarkable agreement (97,81%). 468 sera gave positive results to least one of the tests employed in screening and were tested with the following procedures: fluorescent Treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA/ABS) test, complement fixation (by Kolmer, modified) with proteic (KP) and lipidic (KL) antigen; 100 of these sera were also tested with T. pallidum immobilizaiton (TPI) test. The agreement among the before mentioned tests and sera that gave positive results only to VDRL was significatively low; on the contrary, the agreement was remarkable in the case of those positive only to TPHA (99% with FTA/ABS, 83% with TPI, 52,5% with KP and 21,5% with KL). The results obtained in attesting sensitivity and specificity of TPHA indicate that it is a very valuable screening test, and suggest to the AA. to emphasize that TPHA/VDRL association a definitive conclusion in syphilis serological negativity.