A 2021 Update on Syphilis: Taking Stock from Pathogenesis to Vaccines
Giorgio Tiecco,
Melania Degli Antoni,
Samuele Storti,
Valentina Marchese,
Emanuele Focà,
Carlo Torti,
Francesco Castelli,
Eugenia Quiros-Roldan
Affiliations
Giorgio Tiecco
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Melania Degli Antoni
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Samuele Storti
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Valentina Marchese
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Emanuele Focà
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Carlo Torti
Infectious and Tropical Disease Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Francesco Castelli
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Eugenia Quiros-Roldan
Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
In 2021 the scientific community’s efforts have been focused on solving the back-breaking challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, but sexually transmitted infections (STI) are still one of the most common global health problems. Syphilis is a systemic disease caused by the spirochaete Treponema pallidum (TP) and is one of the oldest known diseases. Its incidence has increased in the last few years and syphilis still remains a contemporary plague that continues to afflict millions of people worldwide. Despite research improvements, syphilis pathogenesis is not completely clear; clinical presentation is very heterogeneous and the diagnosis can sometimes be difficult. Furthermore, few therapeutic options are available, and a vaccine has not been found yet. In this review, we describe the most recent evidence concerning the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and vaccine prospectives for this disease.
