Hepatitis C Information Central

Journal of Medical Virology
Volume 55, Issue 1 (1998)
© 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

HCV antibodies in saliva and urine

Salem Elsana1, Emanuel Sikuler2, Arieh Yaari1, Yonat Shemer-Avni1, Mahmoud Abu-Shakra2, Dan Buskila2, Pinhas Katzman2, Lechaim Naggan3, Miriam Margalith1 * 1Department of Virology, Soroka Medical Centre and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel 2Department of Medicine, Soroka Medical Centre and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel 3Department of Epidemiology, Soroka Medical Centre and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Keywords

serum; saliva; urine; anti-HCV

Abstract

Infection with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually established by detection of serum antibodies (anti-HCV). This study was conducted in order to evaluate whether saliva and urine may substitute serum for anti-HCV detection. Serum, saliva, and urine were obtained simultaneously from 141 patients with a variety of liver diseases and from 52 patients with autoimmune diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus n = 27 and rheumatoid arthritis n = 25). The cell free fraction of saliva and urine samples was tested for anti-HCV using a modification of a serum anti-HCV kit. Western blot analysis was used as a confirmation method. Of the patients with liver diseases, 73 were anti-HCV-seropositive. Salivary and urinary anti-HCV could be detected in 66 (90%) and 36 (49%) of the anti-HCV-serpositive patients, respectively. The presence of anti-HCV in saliva or urine was not related to the severity of liver disease. All the anti-HCV-seronegative liver patients were negative for salivary anti-HCV and 22 (32%) had urinary anti-HCV. The patients with autoimmune diseases were all anti-HCV-seronegative. None had detectable salivary anti-HCV while 33 (63%) were positive for urinary anti-HCV. Western Blot analysis confirmed the presence of anti-HCV in all serum and saliva samples tested but only in 2/12 urine samples. The results suggest that saliva, but not urine, may serve as a substitute for serum for the determination of anti-HCV positivity.

Source: J. Med. Virol. 55:24-27, 1998. ©
1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Accepted: 25 November 1997
*Correspondence to Miriam Margalith, Department of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653 Beer Sheva, 84105 Israel

Funding Agency: US-AID-MERID; Grant Number: 6607   Funding Agency: Harry Stern Applied Research Foundation