Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. This test also checks for antibodies. It can be used to find syphilis except during the first 3 ...JumptocontentUpdatedvisitorguidelinesOtherUMHSSitesYouarehereHome»SyphilisTestsTopofthepageSyphilisTestsTestOverviewSyphilisteststellifapersonhasthisdisease.Theylookforantibodiestothebacterium,orgerm,thatcausessyphilis.Sometestslookforthesyphilisgermitself.Syphilisisasexuallytransmittedinfection.Thatmeansitisspreadthroughsexualcontact:vaginal,anal,ororalsex.Testingisdoneonblood,bodyfluid,ortissuesamples.Ifafirstscreeningtestshowssignsofsyphilis,anothertestisdonetoconfirmasyphilisinfection.ScreeningtestsTestsusedtoscreenforsyphilisinclude:Venerealdiseaseresearchlaboratory(VDRL)test.TheVDRLtestchecksbloodorspinalfluidforanantibodythatcanbeproducedinpeoplewhohavesyphilis.Thisantibodyisnotproducedasareactiontosyphilisspecifically,sothetestresultcouldbe"abnormal"forreasonsotherthansyphilis.Rapidplasmareagin(RPR)test.TheRPRtestalsofindssyphilisantibodies.Rapidimmunochromatographictest.Thistestchecksforantibodiesthatarespecifictosyphilis.Unlikeothertests,thebloodsampleisnotsenttoalaboratory.Youcanfindouttheresultsatyourdoctorvisit.TeststoconfirmsyphilisTestsusedtoconfirmasyphilisinfectioninclude:Enzymeimmunoassay(EIA)test.Thisbloodtestchecksforsyphilisantibodies.ApositiveEIAtestshouldbeconfirmedwitheithertheVDRLorRPRtests.Fluorescenttreponemalantibodyabsorption(FTA-ABS)test.Thistestalsochecksforantibodies.Itcanbeusedtofindsyphilisexceptduringthefirst3to4weeksafterexposure.Thetestcanbedoneonasampleofbloodorspinalfluid.Treponemapallidumparticleagglutinationassay(TPPA).Thistestalsochecksforantibodies.Itisusedafteranothermethodtestspositiveforsyphilis.Thistestisnotdoneonspinalfluid.Darkfieldmicroscopy.Thistestusesaspecialmicroscopetolookforthesyphilisgerminasampleoffluidortissuefromanopensore.Thistestisusedmainlytodiagnosesyphilisinanearlystage.Microhemagglutinationassay(MHA-TP).TheMHA-TPisusedtoconfirmasyphilisinfectiona