Can Infected Saliva Transmit Hepatitis C?

Although some routes of transmission of hepatitis C are known, a large proportion of patients with this infection have no known acquisition risk factors. These . . .

Although some routes of transmission of hepatitis C are known, a large proportion of patients with this infection have no known acquisition risk factors. These Italian authors, using polymerase chain reaction, measured the prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA) in various fractions of the saliva of 45 chronically infected patients and 3 healthy anti-HCV carriers and studied the 12-month seroconversion rate for the stable sexual partners of 27 of these patients. Thirteen of the source patients had no discernable risk factors themselves.

HCV-RNA was detected in the serum of 39 of the 45 patients and in the cellular fraction of the saliva of 22 of these 39. The 6 RNA-negative patients were asymptomatic, with normal liver function tests a…

Reviewing Author

S Baum