Talk:Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test

I've

I've removed content from this page that appears to have been copied from [1]. Does anyone know if it is free content that we can use? --Millsdavid 06:25, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

I've tried to complete this article a bit, references are given.Jfmarchini 12:43, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

The reference ref>http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/cache/-1664090047.htm</ref was removed because it was a dead link. Reference section was reorganized to support "{{cite journal" format.

The sentence " This test is very useful as the trend of titres are correlated to disease activity (i.e. falling titres indicate successful treatment). It has a very good sensitivity for syphilis, except in late tertiary form." needs to be rewritten. Pdeitiker 20:12, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Removed Claim

VDRL is the only test where the result of a confirmed syphilis infection can become negative after successful treatment.

This claim is untrue. The RPR and any non-treponemal test may become negative after successful treatment.

The VDRL is a nontreponemal serological screening for syphilis that is also used to assess response to therapy, to detect central nervous system involvement, and as an aid in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. The basis of the test is that an antibody produced by a patient with syphilis reacts with an extract of ox heart (diphosphatidyl glycerol). It therefore detects anti-cardiolipin antibodies (IgG, IgM or IgA), visualized through foaming of the test tube fluid, or "flocculation".[citation needed] The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test uses the same antigen as the VDRL, but in that test, it has been bound to several other molecules, including a carbon particle to allow visualization of the flocculation reaction without the need of a microscope. Many other medical conditions can produce false positive results, including some viruses (mononucleosis, hepatitis), drugs, pregnancy, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and leprosy.[citation needed] The syphilis anti-cardiolipin antibodies are beta-2 glycoprotein independent,[2] whereas those that occur in antiphospholipid syndrome (associated to lupus for example) are beta-2 glycoprotein dependent, and this can be used to tell them apart in an ELISA assay.[3] This test is very useful as the trend of titres are correlated to disease activity (i.e. falling titres indicate successful treatment). It has a very good sensitivity for syphilis, except in late tertiary form.[citation needed]

The VDRL is a nontreponemal serological screening for syphilis that is also used to assess response to therapy, to detect central nervous system involvement, and as an aid in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. The basis of the test is that an antibody produced by a patient with syphilis reacts with an extract of ox heart (diphosphatidyl glycerol). It therefore detects anti-cardiolipin antibodies (IgG, IgM or IgA), visualized through foaming of the test tube fluid, or "flocculation".[citation needed]

The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test uses the same antigen as the VDRL, but in that test, it has been bound to several other molecules, including a carbon particle to allow visualization of the flocculation reaction without the need of a microscope. Many other medical conditions can produce false positive results, including some viruses (mononucleosis, hepatitis), drugs, pregnancy, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and leprosy.[citation needed]

The syphilis anti-cardiolipin antibodies are beta-2 glycoprotein independent,[2] whereas those that occur in antiphospholipid syndrome (associated to lupus for example) are beta-2 glycoprotein dependent, and this can be used to tell them apart in an ELISA assay.[3] This test is very useful as the trend of titres are correlated to disease activity (i.e. falling titres indicate successful treatment). It has a very good sensitivity for syphilis, except in late tertiary form.[citation needed] 118.107.141.167 (talk) 18:53, 12 December 2022 (UTC)