Syphilis TP-PA
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| WSLH Department: | CDD - Communicable Disease Division |
| WSLH Test Code: | SS02013 |
| Day(s) Performed: | Test is run 2 times weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays). |
| Turn-around Time: | 1-5 days |
| Recommended Uses: | To confirm the reactive results of a nontreponemal screening test for syphilis (VDRL, RPR) or as a diagnostic test in patients with a nonreactive nontreponemal test but with signs or symptoms suggestive of late syphilis. |
| Pre-approval: | N |
| Contraindications: | A reactive TP-PA test will remain reactive for life even with successful treatment and therefore is not useful in post-treatment evaluation. |
| Additional Tests Performed: |
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| Preparation for Collection: | Routine blood draw |
| Specimen Requirements: | 1-3 ml serum |
| Collection Instructions: | Routine blood draw |
| Collection Kit/Container: |
Serology Specimens
Sterile Transfer Tube |
| Requisition Form: |
CDD Requisition Form B
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| Required Information: | Laboratory regulations require the following minimum information to be provided on the requisition form for a specimen to be accepted for testing: Patient name or unique identifier; date and time of collection, patient date of birth and sex, specimen type/site of collection, test request(s), clinician name and UPIN, and address for reporting results. Please be certain that name/identifier on the form matches that on the specimen label. |
| Rejection Criteria: | |
| Specimen Handling: | Specimens must be stored refrigerated (2-8C) and transported with frozen cool packs. |
| Packaging Requirements: | |
| Courier Information: | |
| Specimen Receiving Hours: | Monday-Friday 7:45 AM - 4:30 PM, Saturday 7:45 AM - 12:00 PM |
| Results Include: | Non-Reactive: Suggests that a reactive nontreponemal test result (VDRL or RPR) is a false-positive reaction. False-positive nontreponemal results are seen in certain acute and chronic infections, following immunizations, in autoimmune diseases, and in intravenous drug addiction. Reactive: Confirms the reactivity of a nontreponemal test (VDRL or RPR) used as the screening test for syphilis. A reactive TP-PA result suggests current or past infection with pathogenic treponemes, and may also support the diagnosis of late syphilis or long-standing late latent syphilis in the small proportion of cases in which the nontreponemal test has become non-reactive, but infection is suspected because of the clinical presentation or a history consistent with syphilis infection. Inconclusive: May indicate that the patient is beginning to produce anti-treponemal antibodies due to recent infection. Submission of another specimen in 2 weeks to detect seroconversion is recommended. |
| Limitations: | The TP-PA test may be reactive in persons from areas where yaws or pinta was, or is, endemic. Interpretaton of results of TP-PA must be used in conjunction with the clinical symptoms, medical history and other clinical laboratory findings to produce an overall clinical diagnosis. A reactive TP-PA test will remain reactive following treponemal infection; it should not be used to evaluate response to therapy. |
| Additional Tests Recommended: | A repeated inconclusive specimen may be tested by other methods such as FTA-ABS. |
| Additional Comments: |
| Methodology: | Particle agglutination TP-PA |
| Includes: | Qualitative gelatin particle agglutination test for Treponema pallidum antibody. |
| Regulatory Compliance: |
| CPT Code: | 86780 |
| Price: | $47.00 Price Effective 1/1/25 |
| Fee Exempt Eligible: | N |
| Billing and Revenue Office: | 1-800-862-1065 arbill@slh.wisc.edu |