IDCases · 2025
False-positive treponemal syphilis serology linked to EBV-related heterophile antibodies: Insights from a multi-platform diagnostic.
Клинический случайСтатьяНазвание и аннотация: Перевод в очереди
Обработка статьи · этапы, ошибки и управление
Загрузка состояния…
Ошибки и ограничения
История · было → стало
Состояние обновляется каждые 5 секунд, пока блок открыт. Процент показывается только там, где известен объём работы. Пауза останавливает продолжение этапа; текущий запрос к источнику может завершиться.
Luo Mengjie, Wu Yi, Lin Qiling, Zhang Chunlei
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Syphilis serological false positives associated with interference from heterophile antibodies induced by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) remain rarely reported. This report aims to document a rare case of syphilis serology discordance ultimately attributed to EBV infection, imitating syphilis serology.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old woman presented with facial skin lesions and underwent syphilis screening. Initial testing revealed reactive Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) antibody (TP-Ab), positive T. pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA), and negative toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST). Subsequent testing, including chemiluminescent platforms, immunofluorescence (FTA-ABS), Western blot, and colloidal gold methods, was non-reactive. Comprehensive workup for autoimmune and endocrine disorders was unremarkable. Further investigation revealed elevated antiphospholipid antibodies and positive EBV serologies. EBV DNA was detected. After heterophilic antibody blocking, TPPA and TP-Ab returned to negative, confirming false-positive results.
CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that heterophile antibody interference can simultaneously affect both particle agglutination and chemiluminescence-based treponemal assays, leading to false-positive results. It emphasizes the necessity of interpreting serological findings in conjunction with clinical history and, when appropriate, confirmatory molecular testing, in order to prevent misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old woman presented with facial skin lesions and underwent syphilis screening. Initial testing revealed reactive Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) antibody (TP-Ab), positive T. pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA), and negative toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST). Subsequent testing, including chemiluminescent platforms, immunofluorescence (FTA-ABS), Western blot, and colloidal gold methods, was non-reactive. Comprehensive workup for autoimmune and endocrine disorders was unremarkable. Further investigation revealed elevated antiphospholipid antibodies and positive EBV serologies. EBV DNA was detected. After heterophilic antibody blocking, TPPA and TP-Ab returned to negative, confirming false-positive results.
CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that heterophile antibody interference can simultaneously affect both particle agglutination and chemiluminescence-based treponemal assays, leading to false-positive results. It emphasizes the necessity of interpreting serological findings in conjunction with clinical history and, when appropriate, confirmatory molecular testing, in order to prevent misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.