Comparing three treponemal tests for syphilis screening

We compared the performance and ease o f use for three high-throughput treponemal immunoassays: Phoenix Biotech Trep-Sure Total Antibody EIA, Siemens ADV IA (R) Centaur Syphilis Assay, and DiaSorin LIAISON (R) Treponem a Assay. One thousand serum samples submitted for routine screening were used in this study. Each assay demonstrated com parable sensitivity, specificity, and percent agreement (98-100% ) com pared with Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TP-PA ). Thus, treponemal immunoassays are an acceptable alternative for syphilis screening or confirmatory testing. Batch sizes and technologist active time varied between each treponemal immunoassay; the chemiluminescence platforms offered significantly greater ability to batch (random access vs. fixed batch sizes) in less time. When we compared the results obtained using a reverse algorithm approach to those obtained using a traditional algorithm , we found that the reverse algorithm identified 38 additional seropositive individuals that were not detected using the traditional algorithm. Clinical evaluation was useful for resolving cases with discordant serology. Published by Elsevier Inc.