Diagnostic Value of Chemiluminescence Assay for Syphilis-Specific Antibodies.

Background: We aimed to explore the diagnostic value of chemiluminescence assay for syphilis-specific antibodies.

Methods: Clinical specimens (100 in total) were selected from patients receiving examinations from July 2022 through June 2023 and tested for syphilis-specific antigens by means of chemiluminescence assay, followed by retests through Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test (TPPA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A final clinical diagnosis was made in combination with the physiological conditions, underlying diseases, and other factors of the patients. With the final clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, an analysis was made on the value of chemiluminescence assay for detection of syphilis-specific antibodies.

Results: Combined with the physiological conditions, underlying diseases, and other factors of the patients, a final clinical diagnosis was determined, i.e. there were 93 positive clinical specimens and 7 negative clinical specimens. The positive detection rate by TPPA was higher than that by ELISA (p < 0.05). The sensitivity of chemiluminescence assay and TPPA in the diagnosis of syphilis-specific antibodies was higher than that of ELISA (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted with the results of chemiluminescence assay as the test vari¬ables and the final clinical diagnosis as the state variables (1 = positive, 0 = negative). It was found that chemiluminescence assay exhibited a diagnostic value for syphilis-specific antibodies (area under the curve: 0.704, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Despite high sensitivity, the specificity of chemiluminescence assay is low in the diagnosis of syphilis-specific antibodies, so chemiluminescence assay cannot serve as a basis for the clinical diagnosis of syphilis.