Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26125585›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2015

Failure of PCR to Detect Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue DNA in Blood in Latent Yaws.

Michael Marks, Samantha Katz, Kai-Hua Chi, Ventis Vahi, Yongcheng Sun, David C Mabey, Anthony W Solomon, Cheng Y Chen, Allan Pillay

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
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  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Michael MarksClinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom.
Samantha KatzLaboratory Reference and Research Branch, Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Kai-Hua ChiLaboratory Reference and Research Branch, Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Ventis VahiMinistry of Health and Medical Services, Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Yongcheng SunLaboratory Reference and Research Branch, Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
David C MabeyClinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom.
Anthony W SolomonClinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, United Kingdom.
Cheng Y ChenLaboratory Reference and Research Branch, Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Allan PillayLaboratory Reference and Research Branch, Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · USHospital for Tropical Diseases · GBNational Center for HIV/AIDS Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention · US

Funding

Intramural CDC HHS CC999999Wellcome Trust 098521Wellcome Trust 100714Wellcome Trust 102807
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Yaws, caused by Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue, is a neglected tropical disease closely related to venereal syphilis and is targeted for eradication by 2020. Latent yaws represents a diagnostic challenge, and current tools cannot adequately distinguish between individuals with true latent infection and individuals who are serofast following successful treatment. PCR on blood has previously been shown to detect T. pallidum DNA in patients with syphilis, suggesting that this approach may be of value in yaws. We performed real-time PCR for Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue on blood samples from 140 children with positive T. pallidum Particle Agglutination (TPPA) and Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) tests and 7 controls (negative serology), all collected as part of a prospective study of yaws in the Solomon Islands. All samples were also tested by a nested PCR for T. pallidum. 12 patients had clinical evidence of active yaws whilst 128 were considered to have latent yaws. 43 children had high titre rapid plasma reagins (RPRs) of ≥1:32. PCR testing with both assays gave negative results in all cases. It is possible that the failure to detect T. pallidum ssp. pertenue in blood reflects lower loads of organism in latent yaws compared to those in latent infection with T. pallidum ssp. pertenue, and/or a lower propensity for haematogenous dissemination in yaws than in syphilis. As the goal of the yaws control programme is eradication, a tool that can differentiate true latent infection from individuals who are serofast would be of value; however, PCR of blood is not that tool.

Indexed as

ChildDiagnosis, DifferentialDNA, BacterialFemaleHumansMaleMelanesiaPrevalenceProspective StudiesReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionTreponema pallidumYawsDNA, Bacterial

Identifiers

PMID26125585
PMCPMC4488379
OpenAlexW2168998644

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.