Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the serodiagnosis of syphilis.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using ultrasonic lysate of Treponema pallidum and Treponema reiteri as antigens was used for the detection of antisyphilitic antibodies in various stages of syphilis. The conjugate was goat antiserum to human IgG labelled with horseradish peroxidase. A comparison with results of the T. pallidum immobilization test, Rapid Plasma Reagin test, Kolmer complement fixation reaction using cardiolipin and Reiter protein antigens showed that ELISA was more sensitive but less specific with T. pallidum antigen, whereas less sensitive but more specific with T. reiteri antigen. Absorption of group specific treponemal antibodies was needed to make the method reliable.