rapid plasma reagin test
medicine
Also known as: RPR test
Quick Summary
The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test is a laboratory procedure used to detect syphilis. It is a type of nontreponemal serological test, meaning it looks for syphilis reagin, a type of antibody, in a blood serum sample. The RPR test works by detecting the reaction between reagin and a lipid antigen, which causes visible clumping or flocculation in the serum. This test is useful for detecting syphilis several weeks after a chancre appears, but it often requires confirmation with a second, treponemal test.1
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