ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY FOR THE TITRATION OF SPECIFIC SUMMARY ANTIBODIES IN SYPHILIS PATIENTS

Total antitreponema antibodies were assayed in the blood sera of 135 patients with various syphilis forms and 113 controls. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) sensitivity and specificity have made up 98.5 and 93.8 percent, respectively. The results were in good correlation with the data of rapid modifications of immunofluorescence and Treponema immobilization test. Ig-EIA sensitivity was much higher than IgM-EIA sensitivity for the diagnosis of late forms of syphilis. Titration of specific IgM antibodies in IgM-EIA appears to be preferable for the early detection of a syphilitic infection; the sensitivity of this test was superior to that of Ig-EIA in tests with 26 blood sera from subjects with a history of sexual intercourse with patients suffering from contagious syphilis forms.