Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutination Test is used for diagnosis of Syphilis which is a sexually transmitted disease. This test detects the dissolved amount of antibodies in serum sample of a patient against the causative agents of syphilis. TPHA test detects Pallidum antibodies via the hemagglutination method. This process involves sensitizing the red blood cells with T.pallidum fragments. When exposed to the serum sample infected with syphilis, the cells aggregate on the surface of the test dish. It is used for both semi-quantitative and qualitative detection of anti-treponemal antibodies. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, caused by bacteria called Treponema pallidum. The disease is characterized by four stages namely Primary, Secondary, latent and Tertiary. The treatment depends on the stage of infection. It is always challenging to diagnose Syphilis, because the initial presentation is with a painless sore called chancre. The early diagnosis is helpful to prevent damage to major organs of the body. After the infection, syphilis bacteria may remain inactive for years and become active again.

Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutination Test Overview

Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutination Test is used for diagnosis of Syphilis which is a sexually transmitted disease. This test detects the dissolved amount of antibodies in serum sample of a patient against the causative agents of syphilis. TPHA test detects Pallidum antibodies via the hemagglutination method. This process involves sensitizing the red blood cells with T.pallidum fragments. When exposed to the serum sample infected with syphilis, the cells aggregate on the surface of the test dish. It is used for both semi-quantitative and qualitative detection of anti-treponemal antibodies. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, caused by bacteria called Treponema pallidum. The disease is characterized by four stages namely Primary, Secondary, latent and Tertiary. The treatment depends on the stage of infection. It is always challenging to diagnose Syphilis, because the initial presentation is with a painless sore called chancre. The early diagnosis is helpful to prevent damage to major organs of the body. After the infection, syphilis bacteria may remain inactive for years and become active again.

Symptoms of Syphilis infection

The symptoms depend on the stage of presentation. The Primary stage usually occurs after a period of 3 to 4 weeks of contracting the infection. The initial symptoms begin with a small round sore that is seemingly painless. It can be transmitted if anyone comes in direct contact with the sore. During the secondary stage, the patients may develop skin rashes and sore throat. Patients may also have fatigue, weight loss, aching joints and headache. The third stage of the disease is called the Latent stage or the hidden stage, one may not find any noticeable symptoms at this stage, but the bacteria remain active inside the body. The last stage is called Tertiary syphilis, and is considered as one of the most life threatening stages, and some of the potential outcomes include memory loss, mental illness and blindness etc.

Prerequisite for the Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutination Test

You don’t need to avoid eating or drinking before this test. You should tell your doctor if you take any drugs or medications as they may affect the test results.