Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017

Objective This study investigated the association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors, and described the distribution of serological titres among syphilis-infected donors, aiming to confirm the syphilis epidemic characteristics and to promote effective interventions for older...

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Main Authors: Feng Wang, Xiaobing Wu, Yang Guan, Jianbin Ye, Hanlin Fu, Chunlai Zhang, Lina Lan, Fengxin Wu, Fen Tang, Yumao Cai, Weiye Yu, Tiejian Feng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-11-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e024393.full
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author Feng Wang
Xiaobing Wu
Yang Guan
Jianbin Ye
Hanlin Fu
Chunlai Zhang
Lina Lan
Fengxin Wu
Fen Tang
Yumao Cai
Weiye Yu
Tiejian Feng
author_facet Feng Wang
Xiaobing Wu
Yang Guan
Jianbin Ye
Hanlin Fu
Chunlai Zhang
Lina Lan
Fengxin Wu
Fen Tang
Yumao Cai
Weiye Yu
Tiejian Feng
author_sort Feng Wang
collection DOAJ
description Objective This study investigated the association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors, and described the distribution of serological titres among syphilis-infected donors, aiming to confirm the syphilis epidemic characteristics and to promote effective interventions for older adults.Methods Data were obtained from the Shenzhen Programme for Syphilis Prevention and Control in 2014–2017. Blood samples were screened using the ELISAs, and confirmed using the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) and toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST).Results Among 394 792 blood donors, 733 tested TPPA and TRUST positive (active infection), and 728 tested only TPPA positive (historical infection). The overall prevalence of syphilis seropositivity was 370.1 per 100 000 (95% CI 351.1 to 389.0 per 100 000); the prevalence of active infection was 185.7 per 100 000 (95% CI 172.2 to 199.1 per 100 000). People aged ≥45 years displayed a prevalence of 621.8 per 100 000 in syphilis seropositivity and 280.5 per 100 000 in active infection, which were 3.8 times and 2.4 times higher than that for people aged <25 years, respectively. The prevalence of syphilis seropositivity (χ2trend=311.9, p trend<0.001) and active infection (χ2trend=72.1, p trend<0.001) increased significantly with age. After stratification by gender and year of donation, the increasing trend of prevalence with age remained (p trend<0.05), except for the prevalence of active infection in males and females in 2014. About 16.3% of donors with active infection and aged ≥45 years had a TRUST titre of ≥1∶8, lower than that of patients aged <25 years (51.3%) and 25–34 years (34.1%).Conclusions The findings confirm the high prevalence of syphilis among older adults, and suggest the need to increase awareness among healthcare providers and deliver more targeted prevention interventions for older adults to promote early testing.
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spelling doaj-art-b4718248a0ee4dd6b27f21ee858fd8fe2025-08-20T02:27:45ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-11-0191110.1136/bmjopen-2018-024393Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017Feng Wang0Xiaobing Wu1Yang Guan2Jianbin Ye3Hanlin Fu4Chunlai Zhang5Lina Lan6Fengxin Wu7Fen Tang8Yumao Cai9Weiye Yu10Tiejian Feng11Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nantong University Affiliated Hospital, Nantong, China1 University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China2 Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China1 Department of STD Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China3 Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China1 Department of STD Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China1 Department of STD Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China4 Department of Preventative Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguang, China1 Department of STD Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China1 Department of STD Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China1 Department of STD Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, ChinaDepartment of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaObjective This study investigated the association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors, and described the distribution of serological titres among syphilis-infected donors, aiming to confirm the syphilis epidemic characteristics and to promote effective interventions for older adults.Methods Data were obtained from the Shenzhen Programme for Syphilis Prevention and Control in 2014–2017. Blood samples were screened using the ELISAs, and confirmed using the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) and toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST).Results Among 394 792 blood donors, 733 tested TPPA and TRUST positive (active infection), and 728 tested only TPPA positive (historical infection). The overall prevalence of syphilis seropositivity was 370.1 per 100 000 (95% CI 351.1 to 389.0 per 100 000); the prevalence of active infection was 185.7 per 100 000 (95% CI 172.2 to 199.1 per 100 000). People aged ≥45 years displayed a prevalence of 621.8 per 100 000 in syphilis seropositivity and 280.5 per 100 000 in active infection, which were 3.8 times and 2.4 times higher than that for people aged <25 years, respectively. The prevalence of syphilis seropositivity (χ2trend=311.9, p trend<0.001) and active infection (χ2trend=72.1, p trend<0.001) increased significantly with age. After stratification by gender and year of donation, the increasing trend of prevalence with age remained (p trend<0.05), except for the prevalence of active infection in males and females in 2014. About 16.3% of donors with active infection and aged ≥45 years had a TRUST titre of ≥1∶8, lower than that of patients aged <25 years (51.3%) and 25–34 years (34.1%).Conclusions The findings confirm the high prevalence of syphilis among older adults, and suggest the need to increase awareness among healthcare providers and deliver more targeted prevention interventions for older adults to promote early testing.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e024393.full
spellingShingle Feng Wang
Xiaobing Wu
Yang Guan
Jianbin Ye
Hanlin Fu
Chunlai Zhang
Lina Lan
Fengxin Wu
Fen Tang
Yumao Cai
Weiye Yu
Tiejian Feng
Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017
BMJ Open
title Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017
title_full Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017
title_fullStr Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017
title_full_unstemmed Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017
title_short Association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in Southern China: an observational study from 2014 to 2017
title_sort association between syphilis seroprevalence and age among blood donors in southern china an observational study from 2014 to 2017
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e024393.full
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