Abstract:
A prospective study was conduced from March through May (2005),
in Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North, in Khartoum State, Sudan.
Blood samples from one hundred pregnant women attending different
hospitals in Khartoum State, were taken for the purpose of diagnosis of
syphilis. The stages of pregnancy varied.
There is an increasing demand for evaluating laboratory
serological techniques used in diagnosing syphilis, in terms of accuracy
and sensitivity, finding out the most accurate in diagnosing and monitoring
the disease through comparisons between them. Among the objectives of
this study, attempt to study the relation between syphilis and some risk
factors, particularly, history of abortion and the co-existence of genital
ulcers.
Screening for Syphilis was performed on the hundred blood samples
using three serological techniques; namely, Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR)
test, Rapid Syphilis Test (RST) and Treponema Pallidum
Haemagglutination (TPHA) test, according to the principle of antigen –
antibody reactions. The results obtained were statistically analyzed.
The specific treponemal antibody was detected in 9% pregnant
women using TPHA test. However, the antibody was detected among 9%
pregnant women using RPR and 8% using RST.
When chi-square test was used to analyze the data obtained, RPR
was shown to be the most sensitive test and RST was the most specific
method in the diagnosis of syphilis.
Out of the total hundred pregnant women tested, 4% were in the first
trimester, 41% were in the second trimester and 55% were in the third
trimester.
The highest percentage of positive results (15%) was obtained among
the age group 33 – 38 years. The results obtained showed no significant
differences between different age groups examined (P>0.05).
The study showed that syphilis significantly (P<0.05) increased the
risk of abortion and genital ulcer was found to be a significantly
confounder for positive result for syphilis (P<0.05).
The results obtained in this study concluded the importance of
performing serological screening tests during pregnancy for better
protection, for prevention of possible transplacental transmission and for
avoiding probable repeated abortions. Obviously, further studies using
more confirmatory tests are needed for proper diagnosis, treatment and
control of syphilis among pregnant women.
