Detection of HbsAg and HBV DNA in serum and saliva of HBV carriers.

Serum and saliva samples from 23 patients known to be HBsAg-positive HBV carriers and 17 healthy control subjects were analyzed for hepatitis B virus (HBV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All serum samples of the HBV carriers were positive for HBsAg, with 21 also positive for HBV DNA. In comparison, 22 saliva samples of HBV carriers were positive for HBsAg whereas only 11 of the 23 tested were positive for HBV DNA. Based on these results we have arrived at the conclusion that the saliva of HBV carriers might be potentially infectious and also that saliva testing could serve as an alternative technique for identifying HBV carriers.