ArticleSexually transmitted infections2003
Use of PCR in the diagnosis of early syphilis in the United Kingdom.
Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 148 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of PCR Targeting the 47-Kilodalton Protein Membrane Gene of Treponema pallidum and PCR Targeting the DNA Polymerase I Gene: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2015Pooled it
- Detection of Congenital Syphilis via Digital PCR and Next-Generation Sequencing, Colombia.Emerging infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Detection of Treponema pallidum tpp47 DNA in clinical samples of syphilis patients.European journal of medical research · 2025Article
- The Proportion ofOpen forum infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Update on syphilis diagnostics.Current opinion in infectious diseases · 2025Review
- CDC Laboratory Recommendations for Syphilis Testing, United States, 2024.MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports · 2024Article
- Neurosyphilis with ocular involvement and normal magnetic resonance imaging results affirmed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2022Review
- Analysis ofInfection and drug resistance · 2022Article
- Analytical Performance Characteristics of a New Transcription-Mediated Amplification Assay for Treponema pallidum.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2021Article
- Use of a Multiplex PCR Assay To Assess the Presence of Treponema pallidum in Mucocutaneous Ulcerations in Patients with Suspected Syphilis.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2021Article
- Comparative Analysis of Molecular and Serologic Testing for Primary Syphilis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2021Article
- Molecular and Direct Detection Tests for Treponema pallidum Subspecies pallidum: A Review of the Literature, 1964-2017.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2020Review
- Article
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Syphilis Summit-Diagnostics and Laboratory Issues.Sexually transmitted diseases · 2018Review
- Retrospective Review of Treponema pallidum PCR and Serology Results: Are Both Tests Necessary?Journal of clinical microbiology · 2018Article
- Syphilis: presentations in general medicine.Clinical medicine (London, England) · 2016Article
- Current concepts in the prevention of pathogen transmission via blood/plasma-derived products for bleeding disorders.Blood reviews · 2016Review
- Syphilis testing in blood donors: an update.Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue · 2015Review
- The endemic treponematoses.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2014Review
- A longitudinal evaluation of Treponema pallidum PCR testing in early syphilis.BMC infectious diseases · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate a Treponema pallidum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in the laboratory diagnosis of early syphilis in the United Kingdom. SUBJECTS AND
settingMen and women attending genitourinary medicine clinics in England.
methodsA trial PCR service was offered for the analysis of swabs of ano-genital or oral ulcers suspected to be syphilitic in origin. Clinical details, results of treponemal serology, and other relevant laboratory tests carried out by the sending laboratories were obtained retrospectively by questionnaire.
resultsData from 98 patients, representing 100 episodes of ulceration, were analysed. The majority of patients (70) attended clinics in the Greater Manchester area. Eighty six patients were male and 58 were men who have sex with men (MSM), of whom 24 were HIV positive. PCR results agreed with the clinical diagnosis for 95 patients; samples from 26 patients were PCR positive and serologically diagnosed as primary (18) or secondary (8) syphilis, whereas 70 patients had PCR negative samples and were not diagnosed as having active syphilis. These data include two HIV positive patients who were PCR positive 12 and 21 days before their treponemal seroconversion. One positive PCR result was not supported by positive treponemal serology (this patient coincidentally received a 10 day course of co-amoxiclav 1 week after sampling). Three patients had negative PCR results but positive syphilis serology. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for primary syphilis were 94.7%, 98.6%, 94.7%, and 98.6%, respectively, and for secondary syphilis these were 80.0%, 98.6%, 88.9%, and 97.2%, respectively.
conclusionPCR is a sensitive and specific test for T pallidum, and an important adjunct to dark ground microscopy and treponemal serology in diagnosing infectious syphilis in the United Kingdom.
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