日本性感染症学会誌 Journal of Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Infections

For sexually transmitted infections (STI) control measure, comparative studies were conducted for RPR card and RPR automatic test results for syphilis using 7,273 blood specimens obtained from free-of-charge, anonymous STI examinations at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health. Cases (n=92) that tested positive for syphilis using one or both tests were compared for quantitiative values calucated using the blood sample dilution ratios. Among the 80 cases that tested positive in both methods, eight (10.0%) demonstrated discrepancy; the results were higher in one test than the reference value of syphilis reporting in Japan, but in the other test, they were lower. The remaining 12 cases showed positive results using one method and negative results in the other. The card test provided positive results only for 11 cases. Recently, the number of syphilis cases has rapidly increased in Tokyo, and the influence of additional border for the RPR automatic test on this rapid increase is relatively low.