title: Saliva as a tool in the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen in patients.
abstract: Viral hepatitis is one of the world's most common viral illnesses. Hepatitis B virus infection is a global health problem, and its importance in dentistry is well recognized. The role of saliva in the transmission of hepatitis B makes dentists and dental personnel particularly vulnerable to hepatitis B infection. The objective of this study was to predict the efficacy of saliva as a tool for the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), which is the hallmark of the infection. The study group comprised 70 patients, 35 of whom were known to be hepatitis B infection seropositive (test group) and the remaining 35 who did not have hepatitis B (control group). All of the subjects were tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. Of the 35 seropositive subjects, HBsAg was detected in the saliva samples of 26 subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of saliva as a diagnostic tool for detecting HBsAg antigen in this study was 74.29% and 100%, respectively. Because of its noninvasive nature, saliva can be effectively used for large-scale Hepatitis B virus detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, MNDAV Dental College and Hospital, Tatul, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Gagandeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Soheyl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: Shambulingappa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pallagatti
authors.forename: Balwinder
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Varsha A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Ravinder
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens