HCV-RNA occurrence in saliva of odontoiatric HCV seropositive patients.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: HCV-RNA occurrence in saliva of patients suffering from C hepatitis induced to consider saliva as a possible diffusion mean of this disease. METHODS: Saliva and blood samples from 32 C hepatitis seropositive patients, followed for odontostomatologic problems in Odontoiatric Clinic of Brescia University were obtained. In every blood and saliva sample HCV-RNA concentration was evaluated following HCV-RNA 2.0 Assay (bDNA) Quantiplex test (Chiron), in Microbiology Institute of Brescia University. RESULTS: All patients showing HCV-RNA in serum presented virus in saliva also; two patients with negative HCV-RNA serum presented virus in saliva. In latter cases, we supposed that viral concentration in serum was under sensibility threshold of employed method. CONCLUSIONS: Saliva appears an easily and not invasively obtainable medium for epidemiological studies on HCV diffusion in humans. Its role in C hepatitis transmission, on the contrary, has not been cleared till now.