SIGNIFICANCE OF FALSE POSITIVE SYPHILIS REACTIONS AND ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES IN A NATIONWIDE SERIES OF PREGNANT-WOMEN

  • 1 January 1988
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 15  (1) , 70-73
Abstract
The highly sensitive rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination tests were used to determine the frequency of false positive syphilis reactions in a nation-wide series of pregnant women in Finland. The frequency found was 14/10,000. Two cases of systemic lupus and 2 of undefined connective tissue disease were found during a 20-month period among 134 false positive reactors in a series of 110,000 separate pregnancies. The risk of subsequent fetal loss among false positive syphilis reactors was 7%, similar to the risk in RPR negative controls. Half of the sera in the highest RPR titer groups and 1/3 in the lowest titer groups had elevated levels of anticardiolipin antibodies in solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. This did not increase the risk of clinical disease or subsequent fetal loss above the risk of RPR test alone.

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