Treponema pallidum hemagglutination test
Trep·o·ne·ma pal·li·dum he·mag·glu·ti·na·tion test
a highly sensitive and specific test for the serologic diagnosis of syphilis; tanned sheep red blood cells are coated with the antigen of T. pallidum and, after absorption of nonspecific patient serum antibody, a positive reaction with tanned sheep red blood cells and patient serum indicates the presence of specific antibody for T. pallidum in patient serum.
Synonym(s): TPHA test
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Treponema pallidum hemagglutination test
TPHA test Lab medicine A nonspecific serologic test for syphilis, in which the Pt's serum is incubated with tanned sheep RBCs previously coated with T pallidum antigens; if syphilis is present, tanned RBCs agglutinateMcGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.