SYPHILIS DIAGNOSTIC TEST OF STANDARD (TM) Q SYPHILIS AB USING FINGERPRICK WHOLE BLOOD AND SERUM ON HIGH RISK POPULATIONS

Background Syphilis is still a worldwide health problem with 80–90% of new cases occurring in developing countries with little or no diagnostic access. The availability of new diagnostic test such as rapid test or point-of-care test can improve the medical care of syphilis. Most rapid syphilis tests currently available are treponemal tests, one of them is STANDARD™ Q Syphilis Ab. This study aims to assess STANDARD™ Q Syphilis Ab’s rapid test capability using serum and fingerprick whole blood specimens compared with Treponema pallidum Haemagglutination Assay (TPHA) as the gold standard in detecting syphilis in high-risk populations comprised of transgenders, men who have sex with men, and female sex workers. Methods This study is a diagnostic test with a cross sectional study design done in January 2018 in Pasar Rebo Public Health Center, East Jakarta, Indonesia. Samples were selected consecutively with total of 127 samples. All steps in this research; history taking, physical examination, and blood tests were done blindedly. Results The results of this study using serum specimens were sensitivity of 91.30%, specificity of 97.53%, positive predictive value 95.45%, negative predictive value of 95.18%, and accuracy 95.28. Test results with fingerprick whole blood specimens gave sensitivity of 84.78%, specificity of 98.77%, positive predictive value of 97.50%, negative predictive value of 91.95%, and accuracy 93.70%. Compatibility of rapid test STANDARD™ Q Syphilis Ab results between serum and fingerprick whole blood specimens was very good(κ=0.8223). Conclusion Rapid test STANDARD™ Q Syphilis Ab can be used as an option for treponemal test in supporting syphilis diagnosis, either as routine screening or confirmation of nontreponemal test result. The fingerprick whole blood specimen can be used as treponemal test alternative which is faster and easier to do. Disclosure No significant relationships.