title: Detection of HCV-RNA in saliva of HIV-HCV coinfected patients.
abstract: The presence of HCV-RNA in saliva of patients with chronic hepatitis C provides a biological basis for the potential transmission of this virus. HCV viremia is particularly high in HCV-HIV-coinfected patients, which could favor the presence of HCV in their saliva. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of HCV in saliva of HCV-HIV-coinfected patients. Stimulated whole saliva was collected from 75 HCV-HIV-coinfected patients and 75 HCV controls. The presence of HCV-RNA in saliva was tested by a highly sensitive noncommercialized nested PCR, and analyzed in relation to demographic, clinical, and analytical variables. HCVRNA was detected in the saliva of 49 (65%) HCV-HIV-coinfected patients and 39 (52%) HCV controls. The presence of HCV in saliva was not related to any of the analyzed variables in HCV-HIV-coinfected patients. In the HCV control group a statistically significant relationship was demonstrated only between the detection of HCV-RNA in saliva and the viral load in peripheral blood (p < 0.001). Our results indicate that there is a trend toward a higher HCV-RNA prevalence in the saliva of HCV-HIV-coinfected patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Dentistry, Santiago de Compostela University, Santiago, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eirea
authors.forename: P Diz
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dios
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hermida
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ocampo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral