title: Clinical evaluation of oral fluid samples for diagnosis of viral hepatitis.
abstract: Oral fluid samples were compared with serum samples as a specimen source for hepatitis A, B, and C virus markers. Oral fluid was obtained with a treated absorbent pad and tested by using existing commercial enzyme immunoassays with only minor modifications. Compared with serum sampling the sensitivity and specificity of oral sampling were 100% (51 of 51 samples) and 98% (46 of 47 samples) for hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M, 100% (29 of 29 samples) and 100% (29 of 29 samples) for hepatitis B virus surface antigen, and 100% (13 of 13 samples) and 100% (13 of 13 samples) for hepatitis C virus antibody, respectively. The decline of hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M in oral samples was parallel to, though somewhat more rapid than, that of hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin M in serum samples. It is proposed that oral sampling represents a safer and more convenient procedure for reliable hepatitis virus testing than blood sampling and that it has wide application in patient and outbreak management.
authors.affiliation: Epitope, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon 97005.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thieme
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beller
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M