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4 Treponema Pallidum
4 Treponema Pallidum
SYPHILIS
VICTOR DANIEL
History
Introduction
Pathogenicity
Syphilis
Laboratory diagnosis
Treatment
HISTORY
Treponema pallidum • Described in
1905 by Schaudinn and Hoffman, in
chancres and in inquinal lymph nodes
of the patients .
Caused by Treponema pallidum. •
Transmission: sexual; maternal-fetal,
blood transfusion and rarely by other
means of both transmitting and getting
infected with HIV. 5
MORPHOLOGY AND CHARACTERISTICS
SHAPE : helically coiled microorganism
SIZE : 6–15 μm long
0.1–0.2 μm wide.
has 10 spirals
Gram-negative
Aerobic, microaerophilic or anaerobic
Corkscrew motility
Can be free living or parasitic
PATHOGENESIS
Organism entry(Sexual contact)
Endarteritis
1 SPECIMEN
COLLECTION
Serous fluid from chancre
Blood for serological test
CSF for serological test
NONTREPONEMAL
SEROLOGICAL TEST
VDRL (Venereal disease research laboratory test)
USR (Unheated serum reagin Test)
Cavity slides
Micro pipette
Stop watch
Centrifuge
Rotating agitator
PROCEDURE
Patients’ serum is inactivated by heating at 56oC for 30
minutes in a water bath to remove non-specific inhibitors
(such as complement).
VDRL antigen suspension (colloidal suspension of tissue
cardiolipid or chemically synthesized cardiolipin),
controls and samples are brought to room temperature.
One drop (50 µl) of the test specimen, positive and
negative controls is pipetted onto separate reaction
circles of the disposable slide.
A drop of diluted antigen suspension is added to the
measured volume of specimen, positive and negative
controls.
Using a mixing stick the test specimen and the
VDRL reagent is mixed such that it thoroughly
spreads uniformly over the entire reaction circle.
The slide gently rotated and continuously either
manually or on a mechanical rotor at 180 r.p.m.
Flocculation is checked microscopically using 10X
objective and eye piece at about 8 minutes.