VDRL Test (RPR)

The VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) Test, commonly performed as RPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin), detects reagin antibodies formed in response to cellular damage caused by Treponema pallidum, the bacterium responsible for syphilis. It is a non-treponemal test, widely used for screening, monitoring disease activity, and assessing response to treatment. Although sensitive, it is not specific to syphilis alone and may yield false-positive results in conditions such as pregnancy, autoimmune disorders, tuberculosis, malaria, or chronic liver disease. Therefore, positive results are usually confirmed with treponemal tests like TPHA or FTA-ABS.