The importance of serological tests in the diagnosis of syphilis is reflected by the following facts: Syphillis may simulate many diseases thus rendering anacurate diagnosis difficult on the basis of clinical sings and symptoms alone; Primary, secondary, ofter tiary manifestations may not develop; and latency may occur during the corse of the disease. Furthermore, the present day, the clinical syphilis patients are very rare due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics.1n spite of some data of syphills incidence in Korea by several investigators- the data obtained only by non-treponemal tests in which so called biological false positive reactions are high, a true picture of syphilis incidence in korea has not yet been obtained.
The purpose of this report is to support the syphilis indicence of former reports by non-treponemal tests (VDRL dlide flocculation test and Kolmer CF test), and RPCF test which is highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of syphilis, confirmed by various investigatiors, and to develop a practical test plan for the serelogic diagnosis of syphilis in korea, by comparing the non-treponemal tests with the RPCF test.
The non-treponemal tests (VDRL slide flocculation test and Kolmer CF test) and the RPCF test were performed for the prostitutes for foreigners, 910, the local prostitutes in Seoul, 168, the leprosy patients of Special Skin Clinic, 188, and the selected athletes for the international athletics, 337, and the results were obtained as followings:
1. VDRL slide flocculation test: 16.9% in the prostitutes for the foreigners, 10.7% in the local prostitutes in Seoul, 24.5% in the leprosy patients of Special Skin Clinic, and 7.4% in the athletes were reactive to the VDRL slide flocculation test.
2.Kolmer CF test: 20.9% in the prostitutes for the foreigners 16.1% in the local prostitutes in Seoul, 27.1% in the leprosy patients, and 9.2% in the athletes were reactive to the Kolmer CF test.
3. RPCF test: 4.7% in the prostitutes for foreigners, 5.4% in the local prostitutes in Seoul, 12.2% in the leprosy patients, and 1.5% in the athletes were reactive to the RPCF test.
4. By the basis of the result in this experiments, a practical test plan is presented, Thin test plan is designed to help the private physician making an acurate diagnosis of syphilis, and on the basis of the results of VDRL slide flocculation test, Kolmer CF test, and RPCF test.
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