Transmission of hepatitis-B virus through salivary blood group antigens in saliva.
OBJECTIVE
To determine an association between transmission of hepatitis B virus and secretor and non-secretor status of salivary blood group antigens.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, analytical study.


METHODS
The Department of Physiology and Division of Hepatology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 2007 to 2009.


METHODS
Eighty eight known patients, who were positive for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen [HBsAg] were recruited. Saliva was collected for investigating the secretor and non-secretor status by using blood typing kit number Kemtec Educational Science USA. Hepatitis B Surface antigen test was performed on Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay technique. Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] on saliva was also carried out in High Performance Thermal Cycler-Palm- Cycler [Corbett Life Science, Sydney, Australia] and enzymatic amplification of extracted viral DNA was performed using primers covering the promoter of the core region of HBV.


RESULTS
Out of the 88 subjects, 61 belong to blood group O, 20 to A and 7 subjects to blood group B. Fifty subjects were secretors [salivary blood group antigens positive] and 38 subjects were non-secretors [salivary blood group antigens negative]. Among core gene positive 25 (69.4%) were secretors and 11 (30.6%) were non-secretors. However, in core gene negative 25 (48.1%) were secretors and 27 (51.9%) were non-secretors.


CONCLUSIONS
The result shows an association [p=0.047] between secretor and non-secretors status of the salivary blood group antigens with core gene positive and core gene negative.
Meo
Sultan Ayoub
SA
Department of Medicine, King Khalid University Hopital, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA. sultanmeo@hotmail.com
Assad
Ayman Assad
AA
Sanie
Faisal M
FM
Baksh
Nawab Din
ND
Al-Qahtani
Ahmed
A
Shaikh
Zahoor Ali
ZA
D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000635:transmission*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*
D001789:Blood Group Antigens