Evaluation of Specificity and Sensitivity of Oral Fluid for Diagnosis of Hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B viral infection is a global health issue. Various screening and confirmatory serological tests have evolved in the past few decades for detection of hepatitis B. However, oral fluid as an alternative to blood could provide substantial advantages. The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of oral fluid in detecting hepatitis B surface antigen using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Salivary and blood samples were collected from 40 seropositive and 40 seronegative patients of hepatitis B viral infection and were subjected to ELISA test for hepatitis B surface antigen. Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the statistical significance and Kappa (K) statistic was used to assess the degree of agreement between serum and oral fluid samples. The p-value <0.05 was considered as significant value. RESULT: A sensitivity and specificity of 100% of oral fluid assay was obtained for the diagnosis of hepatitis B infection. The degree of agreement between saliva and serum for detection of hepatitis B was found to be perfect (Kappa value =1). CONCLUSION: Oral fluid testing can be an interesting, alternative for hepatitis B infection for diagnosis and screening for epidemiological purposes. Further research necessitates for the implementation of saliva as a diagnostic tool.

Use of mid upper arm circumference for evaluation of nutritional status of OSMF patients.

BACKGROUND: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is always associated with juxtaepithelial inflammatory reaction followed by fibroblastic changes in lamina propria, with epithelial atrophy leading to stiffness of oral mucosa and causing trismus and inability to eat. Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) is a useful tool for a fast assessment of the nutritional status. AIMS: The study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation of MUAC as a nutritional status indicator in OSMF patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group comprised 50 clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of OSMF. MUAC was recorded using a plastic measuring tape. The right upper arm was measured at the midpoint between the tip of the shoulder and the tip of the elbow (olecranon process and the acromium). RESULTS: Out of 50 subjects, 76% (38) were having MUAC value <23 cm, which shows an inverse relation between MUAC and clinical staging. The relation of MUAC with clinical staging was significant. CONCLUSION: The patient with OSMF becomes unable to eat due to burning, ulcers, and inability to open mouth, which affects the health of the individual. Thus, it is crucial to access the nutritional status to improve the survival rate of patients.