Syphilis: Treponemal Antibodies, Chemiluminescence Immunoassay

TEST: 082370
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CPT: 86780
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Synonyms

  • Syphilis
  • Treponemal

Expected Turnaround Time

1 - 3 days

Turnaround time is defined as the usual number of days from the date of pickup of a specimen for testing to when the result is released to the ordering provider. In some cases, additional time should be allowed for additional confirmatory or additional reflex tests. Testing schedules may vary.

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Specimen Requirements

Specimen

Serum

Volume

1 mL

Minimum Volume

0.5 mL (Note: This volume does not allow for repeat testing.)

Container

Red-top tube or gel-barrier tube

Storage Instructions

Room temperature

Stability Requirements

TemperaturePeriod
Room temperature14 days
Refrigerated14 days
Frozen14 days
Freeze/thaw cyclesStable x3

Causes for Rejection

Hemolysis; lipemia; gross bacterial contamination; plasma specimen

Test Details

Use

This test detects antibodies to Treponema pallidum and can be used in conjunction with a nontreponemal assay to aid in the diagnosis of syphilis infection. This test is not recommended as a stand-alone test for general screening purposes for syphilis, nor should it be used to evaluate response to therapy. To screen for and diagnose syphilis infection, a reflex cascade that includes both RPR and a treponemal-specific assay should be utilized per current guidelines.

Limitations

Treponemal antibodies typically persist for life despite treatment; thus, this assay cannot be used to monitor response to treatment or to assess treatment outcomes. False positive treponemal antibody results have been observed in individuals with nonsyphilis treponemal infections (bejel, pinta, yaws).

Methodology

Chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA)

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