IMMUNO lab 7- syphilis

what serological technique is used>

flocculation - RPR

causitive agent of syphilis

Treponema pallidium (gram negative spirochete)

whats the significance of the shape of the bacterium

corkscrew shape tunnels through human tissue

congenital syphilis is when pregnant women pass the disease onto the child

true

primary stage is defined by what?

one sore (chancre)

appears after how much time after exposure

10-90 days

syphilis cannot go away without treatment

false

what can you use for treatment

penicillin

secondary stage is defined by what?

systemic dissemination of organism; skin rash and mucous membrane lesions

what % shows neurological symptoms

40%

when does the latent stage begin

when secondary stage symptoms disappear

latent stage is characterized by

• asymptomatic

• noninfectious

• seropositive (T. pallidium still present)

whats defines the early latent stage or the late latent stage

• early latent: less than one year

• late latent: greater than one year

tertiary stage is characterized by what?

damage to internal organs

penicillin can be given at any stage

true; damage cannot be reversed

whats percent of patients pass to the tertiary stage?

33%

onset of tertiary stage depends on the length of the latent stage

true

what two types of antibodies produced results for T. pallidum

non-treponemal (reagin, nonspecific, screening) ; and treponemal (treponemal antibodies, specific, confirmatory tests )

false positives include

• SLE

• infectious mono

• hepatitis

• pregancy

• chronic infections

• IV drug use

• advanced age

cons to non-treponemal test

• false negatives in primary syphilis due to detected postzone

• false negative in secondary stage due to increase in prozone

RPR is a macroscopic flocculation test that can be

used qualitatively or quantitatively

true

known

Antigen is a mixture of cardiolipin,

cholesterol, lecithin. (soluble)

unknown

antibody, reagin, found in patient

plasma (soluble)

whats is used for visualization

charcoal