Rapid Plasma Reagin or RPR is a screening test for the diagnosis of syphilis-one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases which attacks the body via bacterial infection and spreads through any form of sexual contact. A pregnant woman can also pass on this infection to her unborn baby. Also called venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS), RPR measures antibodies present in the human blood of the person who may have the disease.
VDRL Test

RPR is known to be one of the most effective screenings to cure this ailment when it is in the early stages. If the treatment is delayed and the infection spreads further, it can be irreversible and cause damage to other parts of the body.

Also Read: Chlamydia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Why Is RPR Screening Important?

Syphilis usually develops in stages whereby each stage brings different signs and symptoms lasting for a week, sometimes for a month, and in some cases even for years. While they are mild in the beginning stages and may go unnoticed, they become apparent by the time syphilis has reached an advance stage. The unfortunate part of this ailment is that the person is a carrier of this infection but may not be aware of it. And to make it worse, he or she can pass the infection to someone else unknowingly. This is the reason why RPR tests are crucial even at the slightest of symptoms or if the sexual partner has been recently diagnosed with syphilis. This effectively helps to diagnose the infection in the early stages making it easily curable. Timely treatment of syphilis also prevents the spread of this illness to others.

Symptoms Of Syphilis

Syphilis Symptoms that usually appear after two to three weeks of infection and may call for testing are:

  • Sore on the genitals, anus, rectum, or mouth
  • Fever
  • Throat infection
  • Muscle pain
  • Laryngitis
  • Weight loss
  • Loss Of Hair
  • Red rash on the palms of the hands or the bottom of the feet

Steps Of RPR Screening

Syphilis screening aims to look for certain antibodies in the blood called immunoglobulin. These are Y-shaped proteins used by the immune system to look for harmful bacteria, pathogens, and infections and protect the body from them. Generally, diagnosing syphilis requires two-step screening, an initial test, and a confirmatory test. The process involves an initial nontreponemal test (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory [VDRL] and/or an RPR, followed by a confirmatory test. While RPR is a blood test that looks for the reagin antibody produced by the body in response to syphilis infection, the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test is done by taking samples of blood or spinal fluid. VDRL measures antibodies formed within one to two weeks and after the infected person develops a sore. If the screening results confirm antibodies are linked to syphilis infection and not due to any other autoimmune disease, a second test to confirm syphilis is done. In some cases when symptoms reflect syphilis may be affecting the nervous system or causing brain disorders, a syphilis test of cerebrospinal fluid- a clear fluid found in your brain and spinal cord is also done in addition to the above-mentioned screenings.

Also Read: Lumbar Puncture: Procedure, Risks, And Results

Test Results

If the screening test results are positive, it implies the presence of antibodies arising due to syphilis infection followed by a secondary test to confirm whether the person has syphilis or not. If a follow-up test confirms syphilis, antibiotic treatment is started at the earliest. While the treatment can cure most early-stage infections of this ailment, even later-stage syphilis is treated with antibiotics, however, the treatment cannot reverse any damage that syphilis has caused.

Risk factors Of The Test

Since RPR is not a difficult test and just needs a blood or fluid sample, there is just a slight pain at the spot where the needle was put in. However, if a lumbar puncture was conducted, there could be slight pain or tenderness since the needle is inserted around the spinal area.  Some people may experience headaches after spinal tap procedure which go away in a week at the most. Overall, an RPR is a safe screening.