The use of oral fluid for hepatitis C antibody screening.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of oral fluid antibody testing for the detection of hepatitis C.

METHODS

Paired serum and oral fluid collections were obtained from 216 subjects. A modification of the serum HCV ELISA assay was developed to improve test accuracy for an oral fluid substrate. Sensitivity was determined in 109 HCV serum ELISA-positive patients and specificity in 107 HCV serum ELISA-negative patients.

RESULTS

Overall sensitivity of oral fluid collection and testing was 98.2%; specificity was 99.1%. These parameters did not seem to be altered by presence of concurrent hepatitis B infection, inflammatory state of the liver, or other factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral fluid collection and HCV antibody testing by the modified ELISA method seems to be an effective and efficient alternatives to venipuncture and serum HCV antibody testing. Their use may facilitate epidemiological surveys and evaluation of individual patients when blood collection is not feasible.