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High prevalence of HCV-RNA in the saliva cell fraction of patients with chronic hepatitis C but no Evidence of HCV transmission among sexual partners

  • Clinical and Epidemiological Studies
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Summary

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of HCV-RNA in different fractions of saliva taken from patients with chronic hepatitis C, to establish whether virologic parameters or disease severity exert any influence on the detectability of HCV-RNA in saliva, and to evaluate the prevalence of HCV infection in partners of HCV-infected subjects with respect to the presence of HCV-RNA in saliva. Sera samples and different fractions of saliva (whole saliva, surnatant, and cell fraction) from 48 subjects (45 with chronic hepatitis C and three healthy anti-HCV+ carriers) were examined for HCV-RNA by RT nested PCR and DEIA hybridization. HCV-RNA-positive sera were also tested for genotype and viral titer (bDNA2 method). Twenty-seven stable sexual partners (25 females and 2 males) were screened for anti-HCV antibodies at least twice over a minimum of 12 months, HCV-RNA was detected in the sera of 39/45 patients and of 22/39 viremic patients. In all of the latter, the presence of HCV-RNA was restricted to the cell fraction. Viral titer was significantly higher in patients with HCV-RNA in saliva than in those without (12.3×106 versus 4.6×106 eq/ml, P<0.01). HCV-RNA positivity was unrelated to genotype, duration of disease, Hepatitis Activity Index scores or transminase levels. Anti-HCV was positive in one of 13 sexual partners of patients with HCV-RNA in saliva and in 1/14 of those without (P=NS). In conclusion, HCV-RNA is detectable in the cell fraction of saliva in a high proportion of highly viremic patients with chronic hepatitis C, but its presence does not seem to be associated with an increased risk of HCV transmission among sexual partners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Ospedale S. Bortolo, Viale Rodolfi, I-36100, Vicenza, Italy

    P. Fabris M. D., P. Benedetti M. D., G. Tositti M. D., V. Manfrin M. D. & F. de Lalla M. D.

  2. Dept. of Pathology, Montebelluna and Castelfranco Veneto Hospitals, Italy

    D. Infantolino Ph. D., M. R. Biasin Ph. D., G. Marchelle Tech. & E. Venza M. D.

  3. School of Odontostomatology, University of Padova, Italy

    V. Terribile Wiel Marin M. D. (Chai of Pathology)

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Fabris, P., Infantolino, D., Biasin, M.R. et al. High prevalence of HCV-RNA in the saliva cell fraction of patients with chronic hepatitis C but no Evidence of HCV transmission among sexual partners. Infection 27, 86–91 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02560503

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