{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T19:46:15Z","timestamp":1769629575722,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,5]],"date-time":"2025-05-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746403200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":1749,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/journalslicense"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,31]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) assay is commonly used as a surrogate marker of infectious syphilis, but is non-specific, slow to change and variable in its rate of decline post treatment. Methods: Within an urban sexual health service testing predominantly men who have sex with men, a file review of RPR changes was undertaken in all subjects who had a dilution level of \u22651 : 4, between January 2015 to the end of December 2018. Results: Overall, 248 cases of infectious syphilis were identified in 215 subjects (165 HIV seropositive, 50 HIV seronegative). Among unique-subject cases with follow-up RPR recorded, seroreversion to a non-reactive titre was achieved in only 42.3% (71\/168) cases at a median of 235 days (interquartile range: 138\u2013348 days) and was significantly less likely if patients had HIV infection (P = 0.02), late latent syphilis (P = 0.003) or a subsequent syphilis infection (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Having HIV infection (P = 0.03) or a subsequent episode of syphilis (P = 0.01) were associated with a lower likelihood of documented cure. Conclusions: The slow decay in RPR titres post therapy and the inability of a significant number of subjects to achieve a non-reactive result over time makes RPR a poor test for assessing the adequacy of treatment or in diagnosing re-infection, especially in populations having repeated and frequent risk exposures. As the number of syphilis cases continue to climb, better tests that accurately assess pathogen presence are urgently needed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/sh20043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,20]],"date-time":"2020-07-20T18:28:03Z","timestamp":1595269683000},"page":"330-336","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Utility of rapid plasmin reagin titres in assessing treatment response and re-infection for infectious syphilis"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Ricky","family":"Harjanto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe Albion Centre, 150 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1308-4595","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Don E.","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe Albion Centre, 150 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia."},{"name":"BSchool of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia."},{"name":"ECorresponding author. Email: don.smith@health.nsw.edu.au"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hamish","family":"Barratt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7468-2812","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Melissa","family":"Kelly","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe Albion Centre, 150 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia."},{"name":"CInfectious Diseases Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, 320\u2013346 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Derek","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe Albion Centre, 150 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia."},{"name":"BSchool of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Virginia","family":"Furner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe Albion Centre, 150 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maggie","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AThe Albion Centre, 150 Albion Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amrita","family":"Ronnachit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CInfectious Diseases Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, 320\u2013346 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jeffrey","family":"Post","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CInfectious Diseases Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, 320\u2013346 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031, 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