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Re-evaluating the sensitivity of the rabbit infectivity test for Treponema pallidum in modern era.
- Source :
-
Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry [Clin Chim Acta] 2017 Jan; Vol. 464, pp. 136-141. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Nov 20. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Background: The rabbit infectivity test (RIT) was previously described as a highly-sensitive method for clinically detecting Treponema pallidum. But our primary study indicated this result may have changed in current antibiotics era.<br />Methods: By inoculating rabbits testis with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (n=63) and exudate from hard chancre lesions (n=13), we re-evaluated the sensitivity of RIT in modern era. All isolated T. pallidum strains from the RIT were performed for the strain type based on "CDC subtype/tp0548" method. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine the statistical significance of differences across data sets.<br />Results: Result indicated that 2 of 63 CSF (2/63, 3.17%) and 5 of 13 lesion exudate samples (5/13, 38.47%) were positive in the RIT, with a much longer time to detection for CSF samples. Only 1 of 28 samples from patients who admitted treatment with antibiotics prior to clinical exam was positive in the RIT; while 6 of 48 patients, who admitted no recent exposure to antibiotics or was unclear about the medical history, were positive in RIT. DNA sequence analysis revealed 6 strains of 14d/f subtype and one strain of 14a/f subtype.<br />Conclusions: In conclusions, RIT is no longer a highly sensitive method for detecting T. pallidum in clinical samples as before, and is not inadequately considered to be a reference method for measuring the sensitivity of other new methods, such as the PCR. These data represent the first reexamination of the sensitivity of RIT in the post-antibiotic era with a large clinical sample.<br /> (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1873-3492
- Volume :
- 464
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 27876463
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2016.11.031