Venereal Disease Research Laboratory Test - Other Tests

Other Tests

There are a number of treponemal-specific tests such as the Fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS) test, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assays (TPHA and MHA-TP)(Microhemagglutination assay (MHA-TP). The MHA-TP is used to confirm a syphilis infection after another method tests positive for the syphilis bacteria. The MHA-TP test detects antibodies to the bacteria that cause syphilis and can be used to detect syphilis in all stages, except during the first 3 to 4 weeks. This test is not done on spinal fluid. The MHA-TP test is rarely used any more., Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TP-PA), and the Toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST) which may be used to confirm a positive VDRL result. These tests are more specific for syphilis than non-treponemal tests and, in the presence of a positive test, more likely indicate active infection. Unfortunately other treponemal infections such as yaws, bejel and pinta and possibly nonpathogenic commensal treponemes can result in a positive.

However, all treponemal-specific tests will remain positive for life once a person has been infected with syphilis, even if syphilis has been adequately treated. Therefore, these types of tests cannot be used to monitor the treatment of syphilis. An automated RPR test(ART)is available for large scale tests.