Why the study?
Does the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) card test detect fewer biological false positive reactions than the venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus?
Does the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) card test detect fewer biological false positive reactions than the venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus?
This study compares the RPR and VDRL tests for detecting biological false positive reactions in SLE, addressing concerns about the sensitivity of the RPR test.
Supports cautious RPR interpretation in SLE; extends observational data on false positives but leaves optimal test selection open.
Theimportance ofa biological false positive reaction inthediagnosis ofsystemic lupuserythematosus is attested byitsinclusion as one ofthefourteen preliminary diagnostic criteria forthatdisease recently described bya committee oftheAmerican RheumatismAssociation (Cohen, Reynolds, Franklin, Kulka, Ropes, Shulman, andWallace, 1971). Because ofits simplicity many clinical laboratories now employthe rapidplasmareagin(RPR)cardtest(Portnoy, Brewer, andHarris, 1962) exclusively astheir standard screening testforsyphilis or forbiological false positive reactions. Therefore, recentreportsthattheRPR cardtest detects fewerbiological false positive reactions than thevenereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test(Scotti, Mackey,andTrautman, 1970;Gamer andBackhouse, 1972) were disturbing, andraised thepossibility thatexclusive use oftheRPR test mightresult inlackofdetection ofthisimportant clue tothediagnosis ofsystemic lupus erythematosus. Comparison ofthese two serological testsinpatients withsystemic lupuserythematosus, otherconnective tissue diseases, andcontrols allowed us toanswerthis question.
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Dorwart et al. (1974) studied this question.
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