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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2000, p. 3413-3414, Vol. 38, No. 9
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Whole-Blood Hemagglutination Inhibition Test for Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) Antibodies

M. P. Meyer1,* and R. E. Baughn2

Neonatal Research Laboratory, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,1 and Syphilis Research Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas2

Received 8 October 1999/Returned for modification 5 December 1999/Accepted 11 June 2000

Nontreponemal antibody tests such as the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test are carried out on serum and widely used as screening tests for syphilis. The aim of the present study was to develop a screening test for syphilis making use of whole blood and VDRL liposomes. Antibody to human red blood cells was conjugated to VDRL liposomes and reacted with a diluted sample of patient whole blood. A total of 951 samples were tested by the new test and the VDRL tube test. All 49 VDRL samples positive by the VDRL test showed inhibition of hemagglutination in the whole-blood test (sensitivity, 100%). Of 902 samples with negative results by the VDRL test, 901 caused hemagglutination when tested with the liposomes (specificity, 99.9%). The hemagglutination inhibition method tests for syphilis in a simple one-step procedure in which whole blood is added to a tube containing liposomes. The new test has potential for point-of-care testing in developing countries.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Neonatal Unit, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone: 649 2760000. Fax: 64 9 2760091. E-mail: mmeyer{at}ww.co.nz.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2000, p. 3413-3414, Vol. 38, No. 9
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.




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