In other words, there are many reasons why this reaction could be a false positive. Wasserman reaction - reliable, but not always accurate Wasserman reaction preparation for analysis

Wasserman's diagnostic reaction has long taken a separate place in medical science. Its inventor was the German physician August von Wassermann, the creator who developed this widely known study. This Wasserman reaction is aimed at diagnosing and curing the initial stage of syphilis, which is not so easy to determine by conventional research processes. Most patients are still unaware of the existence of such a medical term. In this article, we will reveal what the Wasserman reaction is, and in what area of medicine is it used ?!

What is the Wasserman reaction?

The beginning of the existence of the Wassermann reaction is considered to be 1906. It was during this period that this research was applied for the first time, and until today, it has been constantly improved. This concept belongs to the field of venereology, it is these specialists who use it in their medical research. The Wasserman reaction is a list of laboratory processes that quickly and accurately diagnose syphilis, determine the causative agent of this disease - pale treponema.

Consider the main factors that caused a positive assessment of the blood test for syphilis:

A blood test for rw makes it possible to fully confirm the presence of a disease such as syphilis in a patient;
Specific outcome indicators not only confirm the fact of the disease, but also the effectiveness of its treatment;
A positive analysis gives doctors the opportunity to clearly establish not only the fact of infection, but also its exact time.

The practice of such diseases shows that the earlier the disease was diagnosed, the greater the chance of positive results during treatment. If the blood on RW showed a positive trend, then the antibodies have already actively reacted, and this indicates the presence of syphilis. This disease can manifest itself in patients who have suffered severe viral diseases or pneumonia. This disrupts the normal functioning of the body, and the risk of syphilis increases.

Analysis process

In order for the results of the study to be accurate, experts recommend donating blood on an empty stomach. At least 7 hours must pass from the last meal, otherwise, the accuracy of the results is out of the question. There are a number of circumstances when it is strictly forbidden to take blood for analysis, namely:

When the patient has a significant increase in body temperature;
The presence of an infectious disease or its consequences;
During critical days in women;
At the final stage of pregnancy, namely, two weeks before and after childbirth;
If the patient drank alcohol or other psychotropic and narcotic drugs the day before blood sampling for analysis;
In infants in the first weeks of their life.

During the analysis, medical workers must adhere to all antiseptic rules that are regulated by the medical institution. Blood sampling in adult patients is taken from the cubital vein, in the amount of 8-10 ml, no more. Babies have a completely different procedure. Using a special scalpel, an incision is made on the heel of the child, from which the required amount of blood is taken. For children, the required volume of blood is much less than for adults. Then the blood taken should be placed in a special tube, with a temperature not higher than 3-4 ° C, and sent for laboratory research within two days.

If the analyzes were delivered later than the specified time, this may affect the effectiveness and reliability of the results, and the procedure will have to be repeated.

Conducting a laboratory study of analyzes also has a clear structure. First, I make a special serum from the selected blood. At a temperature of 37? C, the blood is placed in a thermostat for about 20 minutes. The resulting blood clot is processed in a centrifuge until a clear bloody serum is formed, which is necessary for further research. If laboratory diagnostics revealed erythrocytes in the serum, it is re-sent to a centrifuge to separate them. Ready blood should be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

To carry out the Wasserman reaction, three test tubes with already processed serum are used. Each of them is partially filled with blood, and diluted 1:5 with additional components needed for the study. 0.25 ml of treponemal antigen is added to the first test tube, the serum is mixed with 0.25 ml of cardiolipin in the second, the third is filled with 0.25 ml of sodium chloride solution. After carrying out these procedures, complement is added to all three tubes in the same amount.

Important! Practice shows that it is impossible to mix all these components in advance, this will disrupt the imbalance and adversely affect the overall results.

The next procedure is the process of incubating the finished serum tubes. They are placed in a thermostat for further heat treatment for about an hour. After the first incubation, 0.5 ml of the hemolytic composition is added to each test tube, and then placed in a thermostat again. Analysis on RW is almost ready. Two additional tubes are used to establish the final results. The first is filled with blood with a positive result for syphilis, the second with the blood of a healthy person. The result is obtained in the process of comparing the finished analyzes with the last two samples.

Evaluation of Wasserman reaction assays

It is worth noting that laboratory tests can both confirm the presence of the disease and show negative results. The severity of the disease in medicine is usually denoted by the signs "+". In the presence of one sign, the reaction can be considered weakly positive, but if the studies showed "++++" or "4+", the reaction is considered strongly positive.

In medicine, there is also such a type of reaction as doubtful, in practice it is indicated by the sign "+/-".

With such results, the test should be repeated to confirm or simplify the presence of syphilis. For the entire time of the Wasserman reaction, experts were convinced that infection with pale treponema in the first 18 days may not show reliable results. For example, in 6% of perfectly healthy people, the reaction may show a false positive result, as 20% of infected patients have a false negative. And only with time can an accurate diagnosis be determined. Within 3-4 weeks, the disease progresses, and a false-negative reaction quickly develops into a positive one.

Treatment of this disease today gives quite positive results. But sometimes there are hidden diseases, the analyzes of which showed the absence of the disease. And if in such cases the doctors have any doubts, then they once again conduct a study.

After the first complex of medical procedures, a new blood sample is taken from the patient for a reaction. Its positive dynamics indicates proper treatment and a speedy recovery. But there are cases when the treatment process still leads to a negative reaction. This syndrome is called seroresistant syphilis. Then specialists are looking for new, more effective methods of treatment that will show positive and favorable dynamics as a result.

The Wasserman reaction, successfully used to diagnose and monitor the effectiveness of syphilis treatment, is widely used in mass examinations of donors, pregnant women, employees of educational institutions, trade and public catering.

Wasserman's reaction - how to take an analysis?

This analysis is one of the main serological studies. It is recommended to donate blood for analysis on an empty stomach. This is due to the fact that the use of alcoholic beverages and fatty foods can affect the accuracy of the results. Blood sampling is performed both from a vein and from a finger.

False Wasserman reaction

The Wasserman reaction is based on the production of antibodies in the blood serum of a sick person by the immune system. Antibodies are detected as a result of a laboratory study of the antigen - cardiolipin. A positive reaction is considered if antibodies are detected in the test blood sample. However, cases of the so-called false positive Wasserman reaction are not uncommon. This is due to the paradoxical reaction of the human immune system, when the immune system begins to fight the cells of its own body. It is with this scenario that the same anti-lipid antibodies are tested in the blood as in the case of syphilis.

Causes of a false positive Wasserman reaction

According to statistics, such results occur in 0.1-2% of cases from the total number of studies. Possible reasons could be:

viral infections (hepatitis, intestinal infections, malaria,);
systemic diseases (lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma and others);
cardiac inflammatory diseases;
pregnancy;
blood diseases;
taking alcohol and drugs.

A false-positive Wasserman reaction in some of the listed cases after a certain long period (a year or more) can become negative even without any treatment.

Diagnosis of false positive reaction Wasserman during pregnancy is a stress factor for a woman preparing for motherhood. To avoid misdiagnosis in such cases, a second serological test is recommended, which is carried out 2 weeks after the first one. Treatment can be prescribed only after the re-establishment of a sharply positive reaction.

As a rule, a non-specific serological reaction in most cases is weakly positive. It should also be borne in mind that the detection of a weakly positive Wasserman reaction may also depend on the methodological purity and technique of setting up the study.

For the initial examination of clinically asymptomatic people and to determine their possible diseases, Rw-based testing is done. And in the outpatient map in the clinic, everyone can see the direction to Rw. It is done not only by sick people, but by some healthy people.

Rw is considered an important test, which, according to the standards of surveys, for the purpose of prevention, is carried out by everyone. The technique is simple and inexpensive, and therefore accessible to the masses, but its effectiveness has recently been called into question. So what is the importance of the analysis, what categories of people fall under the survey and what information does it carry?

Syphilis is an insidious infection that makes itself felt already at a late stage. Today, this is a common disease, and the main reason for this is the ignorance of young people and their ignorance of how to behave in the event of personal infection or infection of a loved one.

Wasserman reaction and blood for RV - what is it

The great German immunologist, who studied problems in the field of infectious diseases, Professor von Wassermann developed a special test, with the help of which syphilis infection is determined by blood. The Wasserman reaction (rapid diagnosis of syphilis, or Rw for short) has been a mandatory analysis for more than a century, which has been introduced into the standards of professional examinations. The essence of Rw is manifested in the definition of syphilis in a person.

This venereal infectious disease is dangerous because of its asymptomaticity - at an early stage, a person can live without knowing about it, while infecting other people.

The study shows how during infection, specific antibodies appear that try to protect the body from the spread of the disease. These antibodies, which provide an immune response, determine the presence of syphilis markers. This antibody reaction was called the Wassermann reaction.

The main problem in determining the infection is a long latent period at the beginning of infection of the body. Later, in infected people, paired complexes appear in the blood, which attract infectious agents and their elements and prevent the destruction of red blood cells. A healthy person does not have such complexes.

According to the severity of hemolysis, 4 stages of infection are determined (indicated by +). An interesting fact is that people who have recovered from syphilis have an indicator of four plus for the rest of their lives.

Where is blood taken for analysis and under what conditions is Rw performed?

To conduct a study and obtain information about the infection, 10 ml of any blood is enough - from a vein or a finger . But this is a non-specific analysis, and it has many additional factors that affect the result. So, the test can show, in addition to positive and negative results, also Rw false positive and Rw false negative.

Biological material is usually taken in the morning, but it can also be taken at other times, the main thing is on an empty stomach or six hours after eating. Before donation, it is better not to use drugs that affect the immune system and lead to allergic reactions, to engage in physical activity. One hour before the delivery of the RV, you can not smoke, and at least a week - stop using antibiotics.

It is also better not to take Rv if there was a strong shock or a big emotional load the day before.

How is a blood test for the Wasserman reaction performed?

If red blood cells are destroyed in the blood serum, it is believed that the person is healthy. If not, it means that treponema pallidum bacteria are present. Based on the results, the duration and stage of infection are determined.

But there is a difficulty here: if RW is made in the first 17 days from the moment of infection, the analysis may show a false negative result. At a period of 5-6 weeks after infection, in 20 cases out of 100 it is possible to determine the infection, and from 8 weeks - in 80 cases out of 100. In addition, in 5 cases out of 100, the RW test is false positive, and therefore, with a positive result, a second study is carried out on R w, which will either confirm the result or refute it.

RW false positive arises from the fact that the presence of antibodies is easily determined, but their specificity is much more difficult to disassemble. After all, the infection can be caused by another ailment or allergy that masquerades as syphilis. In the same way, a false-negative RW result is shown in the analysis at the first stage of the disease or during its sluggish passage, when low concentrations do not allow the text to be carried out.

This is especially true for blood from a finger. Therefore, it is more appropriate to conduct an analysis based on studies of venous blood - in more detail, the type of blood.

The Wasserman reaction (Rw) makes it possible:

Make a diagnosis of syphilis at the primary stage;
Designate the timing of infection;
Determine the presence of infection in the latent course of the disease;
Identify patients who have already recovered;
Conduct a survey of all people who were close to the patient;
Forensic experts to get more information on the criminal case.

When conducting laboratory studies, an error of up to 10% is allowed, and other methods of analysis are offered that have high specificity and reliability of the results, such as:

enzyme immunoassay (ELISA);
Serological analysis (MR);
RPGA;
Pale treponema immobilization reaction (RIBT);
Immunofluorescence reaction (RIF);
Immunoblotting.

Reasons for having a blood test for Rw

The reaction is carried out in two cases.

For examination and diagnosis. To avoid the spread of infection, to identify infected people, as well as for preventive purposes, it is strongly recommended to donate blood:

People who are associated with the cultivation, sale and processing of food (sellers, cooks in public catering, schools, kindergartens, workers in factories, farms, etc.);
Health workers (all personnel of medical institutions);
People who come into contact with those infected with this infection;
Dependent people, drug addicts and HIV-infected;
Donors (blood, sperm, etc.);
People who first sought medical help or were admitted to a hospital;
Patients on the eve of surgery;
People with prolonged unidentified symptoms accompanied by fever;
People who are going to go to sanatorium bases and health resorts;
pregnant several times;
With pain in the bones;
Everyone with signs of syphilis (enlarged lymph nodes, ulcers on the genitals, skin rash, etc.);
Anyone undergoing an annual scheduled medical examination.

In the process of treatment. It is prescribed to determine the dynamics of the course of the disease and forms of syphilis (secondary, tertiary), which often manifest themselves as diseases of the internal organs. It also turns out the effectiveness of the treatment, how well the drugs work, if necessary, the treatment is adjusted.

How to take an Rw test for pregnant women?

Rw, like any other test, has its own term, for different organizations it ranges from 20 days to 3 months.

Therefore, pregnant women are prescribed a study on RV at least three times:

When registering for pregnancy;
At the thirtieth week of the duration of pregnancy;
During admission to the maternity ward.

For pregnant women who have had syphilis, you can plan to conceive a child no earlier than 5 years later. Moreover, Rw of pregnant women in 1.5 cases out of 100 shows a false positive result of infection. A re-diagnosis is scheduled and the result is refuted.

But if there really is an infection, then the pregnant woman is prescribed treatment, which is aimed at preventing intrauterine infection of the fetus, its birth with an infection, or the death of an unborn child.

Signs of syphilis

Rw from the beginning of the 20th century is still used according to the classical method. Diagnosing syphilis in the laboratory makes it possible to determine which of the people has become infected, but the analysis itself is technically difficult, and therefore it can neither be automated nor used for mass diagnostics. RW analysis is low specific.

Outwardly, syphilis manifests itself for a very long time, especially in those people who have a strong immune system. For example, in the first stage, the chancre is localized in men on the penis, and in women in the vagina, and therefore if sexual intercourse is protected by a condom, then the infection will not be transmitted. If the second stage has come, then the lesions will be all over the body and in the mouth.

The special features are:

Ulcers of venereal origin on the male and female genital organs and near the anus;
Hard chancre;
Rash all over the body and on the oral mucosa.

After accidental unprotected intercourse;
If an infected person lives near you;
If you are planning to conceive a child;
If you feel pain in the bones.

Evaluation of results Rw

RW positive- if the antigen of pale treponema cardiolipin was detected in the blood serum, this means that the result for syphilis is positive. There are 4 stages of a positive reaction. The more of them, the greater the likelihood of human infection. A re-analysis is scheduled for additional research.
RW negative- it means that the blood is normal, and the person is healthy;
RW false positive- this is possible with other diseases that masquerade as syphilis:

Tuberculous inflammatory processes in the lung tissues;
Diseases in the connective tissues;
After infectious diseases and after vaccination;
In the presence of a tumor;
With diabetes;
With hepatitis and HIV infection;
Within ten days of the child from birth;
During menstruation;
With alcoholism or taking fatty foods;
With rheumatoid diseases;
With brucellosis;
In case of poisoning;
With cirrhosis of the liver;
With a stroke;
During pregnancy.

RW false negative– such assessment is possible during the seronegative window. After infection, a long period passes before antibodies are formed in the blood, and as long as their number is very small, then the result will seem negative. The result may also be incorrect if you take blood from a finger - syphilis is very difficult to detect, its significance in diagnosis is very low and, most often, in the early stages it will not show a real picture of what is happening.

The director of the Institute for Experimental Therapy in Berlin, Professor Wassermann, made a great discovery. And although RW is now obsolete and very rarely performed (due to its non-specificity in many cases), since it has been replaced by the microprecipitation reaction, this discovery gave immunologists a good impetus for the development of analysis of infections. For example, ELISA and RIF indicate infection with syphilis with high accuracy.

But still, this infection exists and affects people. And this means that the topic has not lost its relevance.

Video - blood test for syphilis

The Wasserman reaction is the most famous test for syphilis today. This analysis gained such fame because at one time it became the first and only way to detect syphilis by blood. This reaction was invented by the German scientist August Wasserman in 1906, in fact, revolutionizing dermatovenereology.

Since then, the reaction proposed by Wasserman has undergone many changes: other versions of it and other names have appeared. However, for more than a century, this reaction has remained an unchanged classic in the diagnosis of syphilis.

Wasserman's reaction today - what is it like?

At the moment, the Wasserman reaction is considered obsolete, and is almost never used to diagnose syphilis. It has been replaced by more sensitive and modern analyzes - RMP (MR), RPR and others. However, the invariable "" is still displayed on the forms of sick leave. Why? Do doctors not know that this reaction is outdated? Of course, this is not true. The signature "" is a tribute to tradition, a small unspoken rule among doctors: leaving the old signature, they now mean new modern tests for syphilis. Most often this RMP(she is MR).

Wasserman blood test: the essence of the reaction

The Wasserman reaction is the so-called complement fixation reaction ( RSK). The essence of the method is as follows: in the patient's blood serum, which probably contains antibodies to syphilis (defender proteins against this disease), cardiolipin antigen is added - an artificial aggressor protein (analogue of treponema), which is synthesized from a bovine heart - and a complement (additional binding protein). If antigens and antibodies match, then with the help of complement they bind and precipitate. This sediment means that there are suitable antibodies in the human blood that reacted specifically to the invasion of the artificial analogue of syphilis. Therefore, with a high probability, there is a real causative agent of syphilis in human blood to combat which these proteins appeared.

The test results are evaluated by eye:

the precipitate that has fallen is considered a positive reaction (there is supposedly a fight against the disease in the blood);
the absence of sediment is negative (there are no proteins for protection, which means that there is probably no syphilis);
a small amount of small flakes - doubtful (neither yes nor no).

The intensity of the reaction is indicated in crosses (or pluses):
+ - doubtful reaction;
++ - weakly positive reaction;
++++ - strongly positive reaction.

If the analysis turned out to be positive, then an additional two-fold dilution of blood serum from 1:2 to 1:1024 is carried out, and the dilutions in which the reaction occurred are assessed. The result of the analysis record the value of the last dilution in which the reaction occurred (for example, 1:32). This is the so-called quantitative method of evaluation - it shows how many antibodies have been produced in the body, and, accordingly, how many syphilis bacteria are in the body.

The Wasserman reaction refers to screening non-treponemal tests - analyzes for a mass survey of the population, which use substitutes for pale treponema, and not itself. Such a test is not accurate and can give both false positive results (when a person’s antibodies are mistaken for something else) and false negative results (when there are not enough antibodies in the blood, although the disease is already present). To date, more modern non-treponemal screening tests are denoted by ( RMP, MP, RPR, VDRL etc.).

Blood test for RW - when and how is it performed?

A blood test for is the first test that is prescribed for suspected syphilis. However, in addition to being used to confirm the diagnosis, this analysis is mandatory for all screening physical examinations.

Blood on RW is taken in the following cases:

upon admission to the hospital;
before operations and other serious medical interventions;
during pregnancy - several times (when registering, in the middle of the term and a few days before childbirth);
upon receipt of a medical book before applying for a job;
with periodic medical examinations / medical examinations at work or school;
in the number of tests, if a person wants to be a donor;
when moving into a hostel.

In all these cases, a blood test for syphilis with help is mandatory and is carried out for all people - regardless of whether they have signs of the disease. Negative tests confirm the health of the patient and the absence of latent syphilis. But positive results do not yet mean the presence of the disease - they require confirmation by a more accurate (treponemal) test.

How many days is a blood test done for RW?

The express method is done within two hours, but it only gives a qualitative assessment of the blood: it shows whether there is syphilis or not. To conduct a more detailed (quantitative) assessment of blood for the concentration of antibodies to treponema in it, it is necessary from a day to a week. How long it takes to wait for the results depends on the particular institution where the analysis is carried out.

Do I need to prepare for the analysis?

It is necessary to prepare for the analysis. Screening tests for syphilis tend to give false positive results because they can react to any changes in the blood. Therefore, one day before the analysis, you can not drink alcohol, and 4 hours - you can not eat.

What are the results of the analysis at different stages of the disease?

incubation period. In the first time after infection (5-8 weeks), the test for syphilis will be negative, because antibodies against syphilis have not yet been developed in the body in the right amount.
primary period. The analysis becomes positive in the primary period of the disease - approximately in the second or fourth week after the appearance of a hard chancre. The titer (concentration in the blood) of antibodies slowly begins to rise.
Secondary period. At this time, the analysis becomes sharply positive, and the antibody titer is gaining its maximum value. The secondary period lasts from 2 to 4 years and is replaced by the tertiary period.
Tertiary period. At this stage of the disease, immunity is rebuilt: the number of non-specific antibodies (i.e., killing not only treponema), to which the test reacts

940

Wasserman reaction- a screening test for syphilis based on the complement fixation test.

The classical Wassermann reaction does not escape, instead of it, anticardiolipin test(precipitation microreaction, Rapid Plasma Reagin, MP, RPR). But, doctors and medical personnel still use this term today, and under the "Wassermann reaction" they mean precisely RPR .

Often, asking in the laboratory: "Are you doing the Wasserman reaction?" you can hear "No, we do not have such a about analysis" . Tip - ask what tests for syphilis are included in the price list. If there will beRapid Plasma Reagin or microprecipitation reaction is the same as the Wasserman reaction.

Synonyms: Wasserman blood test, Wasserman test, Bordet-Jangu-Wassermann reaction WR, RW, BWR.

The Wasserman reaction is

a simple but low specific assay to detect syphilis infection, monitor treatment success and cure.

The test was developed by three German scientists August von Wassermann, Julius Citron and Albert Neisser at the Robert Koch Institute in 1906. The principle of the study - the complement fixation reaction - was proposed by the Belgian immunologists Jules Bordet and Octave Zhangu in 1901. Therefore, the names "Borde-Jangu-Wassermann reaction" and "Borde-Wassermann reaction" (BWR) are also found in the literature.

Wasserman reaction- one of non-treponemal syphilis testing. Detects antibodies to lipids and lipoproteins that have entered the blood from a human cell damaged by a spirochete.

The diagnosis of syphilis can only be made on the basis of a comprehensive examination, including:

thorough questioning (unprotected sex, the health of the sexual partner, etc.)
examination (genital organs and anal area, skin of the whole body, mucous membranes of the oral and nasal cavity, eyes)
laboratory tests - a combination of at least one treponemal and one non-treponemal test (Wassermann reaction) (read the article "Laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of syphilis")

Indications for the Wasserman reaction

unprotected sex
the presence of symptoms of primary, secondary and tertiary syphilis - hard chancre, ulcers in the genital area and anus, rash on the body
sexual partners of patients with syphilis and persons who are in close household contact with a patient with syphilis
if another sexually transmitted infection is detected (gonorrhea, HIV)
during pregnancy planning
during pregnancy
blood and organ donors (liver, kidney, heart)
during preventive examinations of certain groups of the population (doctors and medical personnel, catering workers, military)
before planned surgery
before marriage

The Wasserman reaction is carried out not for diagnosing syphilis, since it is very non-specific, but for the selection of groups of patients who need to conduct a more in-depth diagnosis. At the same time, it is repeated during his treatment in order to assess the success and control the cure.

Preparation for donating blood for the Wasserman reaction

In order not to get a false positive result of the Wasserman reaction and to carry out unnecessary additional tests, you need to properly prepare.

A pause after surgical interventions, vaccinations, intravenous administration of any drugs (antibiotics, cytostatics) before the Wasserman test should be at least 3 months.

Two weeks before visiting the laboratory, you should not drink alcoholic beverages (including beer), fatty foods (weddings, birthdays and lavish celebrations).

You can not donate blood during menstruation, in the first ten days after childbirth or termination of pregnancy. Any infectious diseases (ARI) or exacerbation of chronic ones require a complete cure.

In a state of relative well-being, come to the laboratory in the morning, before 11 o'clock in the morning, empty of heart (it is allowed to drink only non-carbonated water).

Wassermann reaction rate

normal - negative

Even a weakly positive test result requires further analysis.

Dynamics of the Wassermann reaction

becomes positive from 4-5 (up to 8) weeks after infection with syphilis pale treponema
becomes positive 1-4 weeks after the appearance of a syphilitic chancre (syphilitic painless ulcer)
titers decrease with successful treatment of syphilis
with primary syphilis, the result is positive in 80% of those infected
with secondary syphilis, the Wasserman reaction is positive in 100% of cases

The Wasserman reaction is carried out in quality option(the result is written in the form of pluses, from one to four - +, ++, +++, ++++) and in quantitative(the exact dilution figure in which precipitation was visible is 1:10, 1:20, 1:40, 1, 1:160, 1:320).

Benefits of the Wassermann reaction

simple
accessible
cheap
fast

All these qualities allowed the reaction to remain on the pedestal in the diagnosis of syphilis for almost 100 years. But, deepening knowledge about the structure of the causative agent of syphilis - pale treponema and the body's immune response, the development of laboratory technologies has given a new generation of more accurate and reliable tests.

Disadvantages of the Wassermann reaction

lack of sensitivity in the later stages of syphilis
false-negative results with a significant amount of antibodies ( phenomenon prosons)
high probability of false positive results

Causes of false positive results of the Wasserman reaction

fatty food
menstruation
consumption of alcoholic beverages
vaccinations and inoculations
administration of foreign sera
anesthesia
pregnancy
after childbirth or abortion
malaria
leprosy
systemic lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune and rheumatic diseases
diseases of the blood system - leukemia, lymphoma, myelofibrosis

Frequently asked questions to the doctor

1. Is one positive Wasserman reaction enough to diagnose syphilis?

No, not enough. At least one of the following tests should also be performed:

immunofluorescence reaction (RIF - FTA) in various modifications
passive agglutination reaction (RPHA - TPHA)
enzyme immunoassay (ELISA - EIA) including recombinant ELISA
treponema pallidum immobilization reaction (RIBT)
immunoblotting

The Wasserman reaction can be positive for many temporary(!) conditions (for example, a cold), so starting treatment based on one analysis is not worth it.

2. Should I do the Wasserman reaction if I do not have symptoms of syphilis?

It is necessary to carry out an analysis, since syphilis can proceed for a long time without any symptoms, or they will be disguised as a slight increase in lymph nodes, allergies, tonsillitis.

3. When do I need to take a Wasserman blood test if I had sexual contact with a patient with syphilis?

The probability of infection through unprotected sexual contact with a patient with syphilis is 30%, the incubation period of syphilis (from infection to the first symptoms) is from 14 days to 1.5 months (mostly 3-4 weeks), the Wasserman reaction becomes positive from the 30th day after probable infection. But, with a large number of antibodies, the sample will be negative - the prozone phenomenon, so the analysis should be carried out with a serum dilution and, if the results of the first study are negative, repeat it after 1 month.