Use of a Multiplex PCR Assay To Assess the Presence of Treponema pallidum in Mucocutaneous Ulcerations in Patients with Suspected Syphilis

Abstract

We evaluated the utility of the commercial Allplex genital ulcer real-time PCR multiplex assay for detecting Treponema pallidum (TPA), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), and Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L (lymphogranuloma venereum [LGV]) DNA in mucosal and genital ulcers in the context of suspected syphilis. In total, 374 documented genital and mucosal ulcers from patients with and without syphilis presenting at several sexually transmitted infection (STI) centers in France from October 2010 to December 2016 were analyzed at the National Reference Center (CNR) for Bacterial STIs at Cochin Hospital in Paris. TPA detection results were compared with the final diagnosis based on a combination of clinical examination, serological results, and in-house nested PCR (nPCR).