Abstract
Recently, it becomes a problem that the biological false positive reactions (BFP) were shown in the serological tests for syphilis (STS), especially when the cardiolipin-lecithin antigen (C-L antigen) methods were used.
Generally, in our country, there are two main methods for STS. Group 1 C-L antigen used contains the slide test (according to VDRL), the agglutination test and the comple-
ment fixation test (Ogata method). Group if is the method using the reiter antigen from treponema reiter strain (RPCF).
We compared and studied each result by above mentioned four methods about 10, 000 cases which were gained from 1st Tokyo, 2nd Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka and Okura national hospitals during past three years from 1963 to 1965.
Obtained results were as follows:
1. Though it is described that the highest percentages of BEP occur in malaria and leprosy, in 17 cases of leprosy, 6 cases of BFP with three STS which used C-L antigen were observed while all cases with the RPCF were negative.
2. In a number of diseases unrelated to syphilis, incidence of BFP with the RPCF only showed 0.7 per cent in the Kyoto national hospital about 4, 000 cases and 0.2 per cent in the Okura national hospital about 3, 516 cases.
3. Therefore, the specificity with the RPCF can be considered 99-100 per cent from our co-operative studies as G. R. Cannefax et al reported in 1957.
4. Concerning to the sensibility of STS, the slide test and the agglutination test are better than the Ogata method and the RPCF, but we must always consider about the incidence of BFP with those methods.
5. It is desirable that the above mentioned four STS are performed routinely on each case at the same time.
