Use of Treponema pallidum PCR in Testing of Ulcers for Diagnosis of Primary Syphilis

Abstract

Treponema pallidum PCR (Tp-PCR) has been noted as a valid method for diagnosing syphilis. We compared Tp-PCR to a combination of darkfield microscopy (DFM), the reference method, and serologic testing in a cohort of 273 patients from France and Switzerland and found the diagnostic accuracy of Tp-PCR was higher than that for DFM.

Keywords

• Treponema pallidum
• Tp47 protein
• sensitivity
• specificity
• syphilis
• PCR