Press Release
Article
Yale Researchers Shed Light on Epigenetic Differences in Patients with Syphilis and Neurosyphilis
Key Takeaways
- Syphilis cases in the U.S. surged to 205,000 in 2022, nearly doubling since 2018, partly due to reduced STI testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Neurosyphilis affects 1-5% of syphilis patients, causing severe symptoms like stroke and cognitive changes, with distinct epigenetic markers identified in affected individuals.
Shelli Farhadian, MD, PhD
(Credit: Yale)
The United States has seen a significant increase in syphilis cases, with 205,000 reported in 2022, almost twice the number from 2018. This rise is partly due to reduced healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. Neurosyphilis, a serious complication of syphilis infection, affects 1-5% of those infected and can lead to symptoms such as stroke, muscle weakness, cognitive changes, and sensory loss.
Researchers from Yale School of Medicine and the University of Washington have conducted a study to understand why neurosyphilis develops in some syphilis patients and to explore the disease's long-term impact on the immune system. Their findings, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, reveal distinct epigenetic markers in patients with neurosyphilis.
The study involved analyzing blood and cerebrospinal fluid from 22 participants, half with neurosyphilis and half without. The researchers discovered unique methylation patterns in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid in neurosyphilis patients. These findings suggest that a blood test could potentially replace the more invasive lumbar puncture for diagnosing neurosyphilis in the future.
The study also found that certain epigenetic changes correspond to RNA expression alterations, indicating that neurosyphilis might influence immune system responses through these mechanisms, including unexpected pathways like insulin receptors.
After treatment, the researchers noted that most DNA methylation changes persisted in the cerebrospinal fluid of neurosyphilis patients, hinting at possible long-term "molecular scars." However, the implications of these changes remain unclear, and larger studies are needed to verify these results.
The study's authors, including Darius Mostaghimi and Shelli Farhadian, emphasize the importance of further research to comprehend the long-term consequences of neurosyphilis and the broader implications of the disease, which remains prevalent and poorly understood despite its history. Farhadian highlights the urgency of advancing our knowledge of syphilis given the alarming increase in diagnoses.
