Wassermann test
The Wassermann test or Wassermann reaction (WR) is an antibody test for syphilis, named after the bacteriologist August Paul von Wassermann, based on complement fixation. It was the first blood test for syphilis and the first in the nontreponemal test (NTT) category. Newer NTTs, such as the RPR and VDRL tests, have mostly replaced it. During the mid-20th century, in many jurisdictions, including most US states, applicants for a marriage license were required by law to undergo a Wassermann test.
| Wassermann test | |
|---|---|
The test was sufficiently familiar to American movie audiences that the 1934 exploitation film The Road to Ruin simply showed a card with a positive Wassermann test (misspelled in the film) without any further explanation to indicate a character had contracted syphilis. | |
| Synonyms | Wassermann reaction |
| Purpose | antibody test for syphilis |
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