title: Salivary HCV-antibodies; a follow-up cohort study of liver disease patients.
abstract: We have recently shown in Liver Clinic patients that saliva instead of serum may be used for anti-HCV detection. As compared to blood withdrawing, saliva is easier to obtain, non invasive, especially for infants. In the present study, sequential determination of serum and salivary anti-HCV was performed in the same cohort for 36 months. Anti-HCV seropositive and seronegative patients were studied. Blood and saliva samples were obtained simultaneously. From the anti-HCV seronegative patients (n=33), 161 sequential serum and 161 matched saliva samples were obtained. All were anti-HCV negative. From the anti-HCV seropositive patients (n=35), 131 sequential serum and 131 matched saliva samples were obtained. All sequential serum samples were anti-HCV positive. Of the saliva samples 126 (96%) were anti-HCV positive and five (4%) were anti-HCV negative. These five samples were obtained from two patients with autoimmune hepatitis and HCV-RNA seronegative by PCR. The results suggest that saliva may serve as a substitute for serum for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elsana
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sikuler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yaari
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shemer-Avni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margalith
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral