At what temperature and duration should serum from clotted blood be heated for FTA testing?

For FTA (Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody) testing, serum from clotted blood is typically heated at 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. This step is essential as it inactivates complement proteins that could interfere with the results of the test. Complement activation can result in false-negative outcomes, and heating the serum ensures that the antibodies present are detectable without the complications introduced by complement activity.

The selected temperature and duration are standardized to ensure optimal inactivation of these proteins while preserving the structural integrity of the antibodies needed for testing. This careful heating process helps maintain the reliability and accuracy of the FTA test results.

Other temperature and time settings are either ineffective for this purpose or may negatively impact the serum and its constituents, potentially leading to skewed results or damage to the antibodies.