Non-specific reactions to the quantitative fluorescent antibody test (FTA) in the elderly.

Recently, Carr, Becker, and Carpenter (1966) published evidence indicating that biological false positive reactions to reagin tests, as judged primarily by negative results to the treponemal immobilization test, occurred more frequently in elderly patients than in the population as a whole. Although some aspects of this work have been justifiably criticized by Wuepper and Tuffanelli (1966), the main conclusion cannot be ignored when the results of serological tests in elderly patients lacking clinical and historical evidence of syphilis are interpreted. In a recent investigation we have shown that false positive reactions to quantitative fluorescent treponemal antibody tests (FTA) will also occur more frequently in elderly patients than in the general population.