[A new method for serologic detection of Treponema pallidum reinfection].

Sources of error in the detection of specific IgM-antibodies against Treponema pallidum could be overcome by the introduction of a new method for precise separation of immunoglobulins. The 19-S-IgM-FTA-ABS-test apparently permits a correct diagnosis of syphilitic reinfection. This method is not only specific but also earlier reactive than the VDRL-test. The short-time persistence of 19 S-IgM production after treatment and its renewed appearance enables for the first time a differentiation between treatment failure and reinfection.