title: HIV testing among injecting drug users in Glasgow.
abstract: The use of saliva rather than blood for epidemiological studies of HIV prevalence, especially among injecting drug users, has several practical advantages. In a cross-sectional, behavioural and prevalence study among drug users in Glasgow during 1990, salivary samples were therefore obtained by the use of salivettes. Such samples were requested for anonymous anti-HIV testing from 498 persons in locations varying from residential rehabilitation centres to the open streets. Of this number, 35 refused to give a sample, resulting in a compliance rate of 93%. Of the 463 salivettes received by the laboratory, eight were found to be dry. Of the remaining 455 specimens, eight were found to be positive for HIV-1 antibody by means of an IgG antibody capture ELISA, so giving a prevalence rate of 1.8%. The results of testing saliva and blood spot samples collected at the same time on filter paper from 98 persons for HIV-1 antibody were 100% concordant. The study confirms the experience of others that specimens of saliva are easy to collect under variable conditions by non-medical staff and demonstrates that the salivette can provide an HIV antibody test result the same as that obtained from a blood spot. The prevalence of HIV antibody determined in this study is similar to that of other studies taking place in the city during the same period of time.
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, U.K.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Covell
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Follett
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Coote
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bloor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finlay
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frischer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haw
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McKeganey
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies