The use of oral fluid for hepatitis C antibody screening.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of oral fluid antibody testing for the detection of hepatitis C.


METHODS
Paired serum and oral fluid collections were obtained from 216 subjects. A modification of the serum HCV ELISA assay was developed to improve test accuracy for an oral fluid substrate. Sensitivity was determined in 109 HCV serum ELISA-positive patients and specificity in 107 HCV serum ELISA-negative patients.


RESULTS
Overall sensitivity of oral fluid collection and testing was 98.2%; specificity was 99.1%. These parameters did not seem to be altered by presence of concurrent hepatitis B infection, inflammatory state of the liver, or other factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral fluid collection and HCV antibody testing by the modified ELISA method seems to be an effective and efficient alternatives to venipuncture and serum HCV antibody testing. Their use may facilitate epidemiological surveys and evaluation of individual patients when blood collection is not feasible.
Sherman
K E
KE
Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado.
Creager
R L
RL
O'Brien
J
J
Sargent
S
S
Piacentini
S
S
Thieme
T
T
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies