Seroprevalence of Treponema pallidum infection among high-risk populations from Brazil

Júlio Henrique Ferreira de Sá Queiroz; Marcelo Dos Santos Barbosa; Emily Vitória de Oliveira Perez; Bruna Oliveira da Silva; Gleyce Hellen de Almeida de Souza; Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves; Julio Croda; Simone Simionatto

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107255

Seroprevalence of Treponema pallidum infection among high-risk populations from Brazil

Acta Trop. 2024 May 16:256:107255. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107255. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Júlio Henrique Ferreira de Sá Queiroz¹, Marcelo Dos Santos Barbosa¹, Emily Vitória de Oliveira Perez¹, Bruna Oliveira da Silva¹, Gleyce Hellen de Almeida de Souza¹, Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves², Julio Croda³, Simone Simionatto⁴

Affiliations

¹ Federal University of Grande Dourados - UFGD, Health Sciences Research Laboratory, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
² State Health Department of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil; School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil.
³ School of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil; Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Campo Grande, Brazil; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁴ Federal University of Grande Dourados - UFGD, Health Sciences Research Laboratory, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: simonesimionatto@ufgd.edu.br.

PMID: 38761835
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107255

Abstract

Syphilis is a significant public health concern worldwide. According to the 2020 estimates, nearly 7.1 million new cases of syphilis have been reported globally, with over 30 % of these cases reported from American nations, particularly Brazil. Concerns have been raised regarding the susceptibility of specific groups to syphilis due to challenges and vulnerabilities that place these groups at a higher risk of infections or complications in the treatment outcomes. The present study aimed to compare the seroprevalence and the factors associated with syphilis among such high-risk groups. The study was designed as a cross-sectional one and was conducted with pregnant women, people living with HIV (PLHIV), people living with tuberculosis (PLTB), indigenous and healthy populations in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The study was conducted between June 2019 and August 2022, during which the included patients were subjected to treponemal and non-treponemal serological assays. The study also included a survey conducted through a self-reported questionnaire to collect information regarding the participants' demographics and sexual behaviors. A total of 550 samples were collected, with 110 participants in each of the five groups. The results of the study revealed that the seroprevalence of Treponema pallidum infection in pregnant women, PLHIV, PLTB, indigenous and healthy populations of the study region was 10 % (n = 11/110), 41.81 % (n = 46/110), 17.27 % (n = 19/110), 5.45 % (n = 6/110), and 8.18 % (n = 9/110), respectively. Homosexual orientation (p = 0.04) and a history of sexually transmitted infection (STI) (p = 0.01) were associated with the seroprevalence of T. pallidum infection in PLHIV. However, no such associations were noted in the remaining four groups. The seroprevalence of T. pallidum infection was observed to vary significantly among the different high-risk groups, which highlighted the persistent concern of syphilis, particularly among vulnerable populations. These findings underscore the significance of focused interventions and public health strategies customized to the specific requirements of each of the groups evaluated in the present study to decrease the number of cases of syphilis and thereby prevent future complications in patients with other serious infections.

Keywords: Syphilis screening; Syphilis serodiagnosis; Treponemal infections; Vulnerable populations.