Phospholipid Antibodies in Natural and Experimental Syphilis

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Abstract
The genus Treponema consists of pathogenic and nonpathogenic spirochetes. The former are noncultivable in vitro, while the latter can be propagated in artificial media. There is a great number of nonpathogenic treponemes.1 The organisms pathogenic for man are T. pallidum subsp. pallidum, the etiologic agent of venereal syphilis, T. pallidum subsp. en-demicum, the causative agent of endemic syphilis, T. pallidum subsp. pertenue, responsible for yaws and T. carateum, the etiologic agent of pinta. The last three treponemes cause nonvenereal diseases. The pathogenic treponemes are morphologically identical and anti-genically similar. Consequently the nonvenereal treponematoses have several features in common with syphilis, including the production of treponemal and phospholipid antibodies that are indistinguishable from those recognized in syphilis.

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