Analysis of syphilis and its possible variants

It has long been known that, the earlier a person has been diagnosed with any disease, the easier it is to get rid of it and the more likely it is not to get any complications, although sometimes it's even a matter of life.

Syphilis is one of such diseases, which often passes unnoticed. A person may not even suspect that he has such a dangerous disease. The analysis for syphilis (RW) helps to diagnose the presence of the disease as early as possible. Lues is the older name of syphilis, which refers to chronic diseases. The disease is caused by the bacterium treponema, or pale spirochete, which was discovered by scientists in the early 20th century. This bacterium in form resembles a spiral and has from five to twenty-four scrolls per 1 micron in length. Named spirocheta pale for the fact that it refracts light badly and is practically not exposed to aniline paints. This microorganism can live in the environment for about four days, preferring a low temperature. In this regard, there is the possibility of a household way of contracting syphilis.

Syphilis can be transmitted to a baby before birth from the mother through the placenta. It can happen in the first three years of mother's illness.

There are several periods of the course of the disease, which differ in symptoms and consequences. If early diagnosed with syphilis and begin treatment, subsequent stages may not occur.

Periods of syphilis:

Incubation - lasts 20-40 days from the time of infection;

Primary - begins with the appearance of a solid chancre, from the time of the first generalized rash ends (about seven weeks) and the secondary period begins. It lasts up to four years, until there are tertiary syphiloids (hillocks-gummies). For the tertiary period, various unpleasant manifestations, such as softening of the bones, are characteristic. It lasts until death.

A blood test for syphilis helps in the early diagnosis of the disease, regardless of the manifestations. In the late stages of the disease, tissue fluid from ulcers and lymph from the lymph nodes is taken for the study. Blood for analysis on syphilis is taken in the morning on an empty stomach. Such an analysis is based on the fact that in the serum of patients with syphilis there are antibodies against the pathogen. If the person is healthy, they are absent in the body. Negative reaction is considered the presence of the process of hemolysis (destruction of erythrocytes). The absence of hemolysis makes it necessary to evaluate the degree of reaction, depending on the period of the disease (it is marked from one to three pluses, depending on the severity level).
The analysis for syphilis is always positive in the secondary period. In primary syphilis, the body can behave differently: the first two and a half weeks of illness can show a negative reaction, at 5 or 6 weeks of the disease only a quarter of the patients have a positive reaction, at 7-8 weeks the analysis for syphilis shows a positive result in a 70- 80% of patients. There is also a false positive analysis for syphilis in 3-5% of healthy people.

Often in the case of mass examinations, syphilis analysis is performed using a screening reaction - blood is dripped dropwise onto the glass, blood serum (active, inactive), and plasma, and a cardiolipid antigen is added. In healthy people, the reaction is negative. If the analysis on syphilis gives a positive result, thorough research of the organism is conducted, allowing to put the final diagnosis.