title: Diagnosis of hepatitis A and B by testing saliva.
abstract: The use of salivary samples to diagnose acute viral hepatitis was investigated. Tests for IgM antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) on 29 acute-phase samples from serologically confirmed cases of hepatitis A were strongly reactive. Follow-up samples indicated that IgM anti-HAV persisted at moderate levels for 2-4 months and was not usually detectable thereafter. The ratio of IgM to IgG anti-HAV (RIA index) correlated closely with the interval from onset of infection. Significant levels of IgM anti-HAV were not detected in the saliva of 103 IgG anti-HAV positive and 102 IgG anti-HAV negative individuals nor of 4 individuals with hepatitis B. Similarly, IgM anti-HBc was present in the saliva of acute cases of hepatitis B, but not in the saliva of 25 IgG anti-HBc positive and 85 IgG anti-HBc negative individuals, nor of 24 individuals with recent hepatitis A. It is concluded that saliva is a convenient and satisfactory alternative to serum for the diagnosis of hepatitis A infection.
authors.affiliation: PHLS Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, England.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panday
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Mortimer
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004739:England; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M