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KAHN, REUBEN LEON 1887-1974

SEROLOGIST

Achievements

Reuben L. Kahn was a Russian-born American serologist and immunolgist whose primary impact was the development of a more sensitive test for syphilis. Syphilis is one of the chief venereal diseases, a group of diseases generally transferred through sexual contact. If not treated promptly, syphilis can cause paralysis, mental derangement, and death. Syphilis can also be passed to the unborn children of pregnant mothers resulting in insanity, heart disease, and paralysis in the affected child. There is no vaccine for the disease, but treatment is relatively inexpensive and simple.

The Kahn Test

The first effective test for syphilis was developed in 1906 by August von Wassermann. The Wassermann test was welcomed as the best way to detect the disease, but the test also required a two-day incubation period, and its complexity provided many sources for error. While many physicians and scientists tried to improve the Wassermann test, none succeeded until Reuben Kahn did so in 1923. Kahn's modified syphilis test was simpler, took only a few minutes to complete, and was more accurate than any other available method for detecting syphilis. Kahn's test became the standard test for syphilis detection in the United States Navy in 1925 and was soon recognized worldwide.

Kahn's Study of Immunology

While applying his test to other diseases, Kahn realized that it produced some false positive and false negative reactions. This discovery led him to a broader study of the role of different tissues in immunity, as differentiated from the role of white blood cells and blood antibodies. His research led to Kahn's "universal serological reaction" in 1951. This new discovery was, as Kahn remarked, "a potential serologie indicator of various situations in health and in different diseases."

Kahn's Career

The career of Reuben Kahn spanned the fields of serology and immunology and produced over 170 scientific publications. He conducted his research at the Michigan Department of Health, the University of Michigan, and Howard University. Although most widely known for his improvements to the test for early syphilis detection, Kahn's universal serological reaction is considered a landmark in the science of immunology. His research was carried out at the Michigan Department of Health, the University of Michigan, and Howard University, but he also received honorary degrees and awards from other institutions.