Fw: NATAP: Saliva-Based Hepatitis C Test Developed

[Guest guest]

Saliva-based hepatitis C test developed

Wagdy Sawahel

23 December 2005

Source: SciDev.Net

Israeli scientists have developed a saliva-based test to detect the

hepatitis C virus, and say it could be appropriate for mass screening

programmes in developing countries.

Hepatitis C is common in the developing world, but the conventional method

of detecting the virus in a blood sample is often inaccessible to poorer

nations.

Current tests use a sample of the patient's serum, the liquid part of blood

in which blood cells are suspended, and detect antibodies that the body

produces in reaction to the virus.

But such tests are costly, complicated and rely on an array of medical

equipment and skilled personnel.

Now researchers led by Arieh Yaari of Soroka University Medical Center,

Israel, have shown that saliva can be used instead of serum to detect the

virus.

They carried out their study on 37 dialysis patients, people without kidney

function whose blood must be passed through a machine to filter out waste

products.

Such patients have a high incidence of hepatitis C and may resemble ill

people in developing countries in their immune response levels.

Yaari and colleagues report 100 per cent success at detecting hepatitis C in

the saliva of patients who had symptoms of the disease. This is comparable

to the results of testing serum.

In patients who had the virus but had yet to develop symptoms, the saliva

test was accurate in 94 per cent of cases, while the conventional serum test

detected only 63 per cent of infections.

Yaari's team say that as it is cheap and easy to obtain saliva samples,

detecting hepatitis C infections using this technique might be economically

and clinically important in developing nations.

They add that as the research involved only 37 patients, a larger study is

needed to confirm the results. This could focus on a different high-risk

population, for example people in developing countries, say the researchers.

They published their findings online on Monday (19 December) in the Journal

of Virological Methods.

Abstract

Hepatitis C (HCV) is common in developing countries, where blood sampling

and expensive sophisticated methods for detection are less available.

Hemodialysis patients have high prevalence of HCV and may resemble sick

populations in developing countries in relation to immunosuppression and

antibodies production. For these reasons anti-HCV antibodies were assayed in

saliva of hemodialysis patients by ImmunoComb II assay that is less

laborious, relatively inexpensive and easy to perform If the findings are

confirmed by larger studies this method may be useful especially in

developing countries.

Serum and saliva samples were obtained from 37 hemodialysis patients and

assayed by ImmunoComb II kit. In positive PCR patients the saliva test had

100% sensitivity, which was as good as serum anti-HCV Axsym testing. Saliva

testing had a similar or better specificity than the serum method.

[Guest guest]

Saliva-based hepatitis C test developed

Wagdy Sawahel

23 December 2005

Source: SciDev.Net

Israeli scientists have developed a saliva-based test to detect the

hepatitis C virus, and say it could be appropriate for mass screening

programmes in developing countries.

Hepatitis C is common in the developing world, but the conventional method

of detecting the virus in a blood sample is often inaccessible to poorer

nations.

Current tests use a sample of the patient's serum, the liquid part of blood

in which blood cells are suspended, and detect antibodies that the body

produces in reaction to the virus.

But such tests are costly, complicated and rely on an array of medical

equipment and skilled personnel.

Now researchers led by Arieh Yaari of Soroka University Medical Center,

Israel, have shown that saliva can be used instead of serum to detect the

virus.

They carried out their study on 37 dialysis patients, people without kidney

function whose blood must be passed through a machine to filter out waste

products.

Such patients have a high incidence of hepatitis C and may resemble ill

people in developing countries in their immune response levels.

Yaari and colleagues report 100 per cent success at detecting hepatitis C in

the saliva of patients who had symptoms of the disease. This is comparable

to the results of testing serum.

In patients who had the virus but had yet to develop symptoms, the saliva

test was accurate in 94 per cent of cases, while the conventional serum test

detected only 63 per cent of infections.

Yaari's team say that as it is cheap and easy to obtain saliva samples,

detecting hepatitis C infections using this technique might be economically

and clinically important in developing nations.

They add that as the research involved only 37 patients, a larger study is

needed to confirm the results. This could focus on a different high-risk

population, for example people in developing countries, say the researchers.

They published their findings online on Monday (19 December) in the Journal

of Virological Methods.

Abstract

Hepatitis C (HCV) is common in developing countries, where blood sampling

and expensive sophisticated methods for detection are less available.

Hemodialysis patients have high prevalence of HCV and may resemble sick

populations in developing countries in relation to immunosuppression and

antibodies production. For these reasons anti-HCV antibodies were assayed in

saliva of hemodialysis patients by ImmunoComb II assay that is less

laborious, relatively inexpensive and easy to perform If the findings are

confirmed by larger studies this method may be useful especially in

developing countries.

Serum and saliva samples were obtained from 37 hemodialysis patients and

assayed by ImmunoComb II kit. In positive PCR patients the saliva test had

100% sensitivity, which was as good as serum anti-HCV Axsym testing. Saliva

testing had a similar or better specificity than the serum method.