treponeme
/ˈtrɛpəniːm
/(also treponema /ˈtrɛpəniːmə/)
noun
A spirochaete bacterium that is parasitic or pathogenic in humans and warm-blooded animals, including the causal agents of syphilis and yaws.
- Genus Treponema, order Spirochaetales; Gram-negative.
- Over 10 years 195 samples of serum and cerebrospinal fluid gave positive results in the fluorescent treponema antibody assay, which means a primary infection of T pallidum, and 48 fulfilled the criteria for neurosyphilis.
- In addition, the finding of treponemes within exudative lesions and positive serology aids the diagnosis.
Derivatives
treponemal
- Other viral, bacterial, treponemal and fungal agents have the potential to cause mouth ulcers.
- Traditionally, screening for syphilis infection is a two-step process that involves an initial nontreponemal test (VDRL or RPR) followed by a confirmatory treponemal test (FTA-ABS or TP-PA).
- Eleven weeks after her final dose, results of the fluorescence antibody absorption test were negative, with a negative rapid plasma reagin test result, suggesting passive acquisition of the treponemal antibody.
Origin
Early 20th century: from modern Latin Treponema, from Greek trepein 'to turn' + nēma 'thread'.