AEGiS-15IAC: Oraquick saliva testing for HIV infection - a painless alternative to routine blood testing in paediatric patients.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Oraquick saliva testing for HIV infection - a painless alternative to routine blood testing in paediatric patients.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. TuOrB1146)

Naeem-Sheik A, Makuraj A, Bogoshi M, Violari A, Cindi J, McIntyre J, Gray G, Vardas E
Institution, Johannesburg, South Africa

BACKGROUND: Saliva is often used as a non-invasive, cheaper alternative to serum to detect HIV-1 antibodies in surveillance programmes in developing countries and is a reliable, safe and effective alternative to serum for ELISA testing for HIV-1 antibodies in adults. The diagnosis of HIV infection in young children is complicated by the presence of circulating maternal HIV antibodies and usually relies on expensive, complex PCR based diagnostic techniques. The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the less expensive oraquick saliva test and validate the use of this test in diagnosing HIV infection in children 12-18 months of age, as compared to whole blood rapid tests and age appropriate confirmatory tests.

METHODS: Children were tested at 12 and 18 months respectively. Demographic information regarding the patient and the parents was collected at the time of testing. Prior to blood testing, a sample of saliva was taken and tested using the Oraquick test kit. A rapid blood test was done at the time of Oraquick saliva testing with the understanding that an Elisa would be performed on all specimens irrespective of the outcome of the rapid results. Parents/guardians were given the option of either receiving the rapid results or awaiting the results of the ELISA.

RESULTS: Preliminary results are available to date for 74 children aged 12-18 months. Salivary oraquick test and whole blood rapid tests were compared to the ELISA results. The sensitivity and specificity of the salivary Oraquick was 0,64 and 0,98. The whole blood rapid sensitivity and specificity was0,77 and 0,88. The rapid test yielded 5 indeterminate results which on ELISA corresponded to 4 negative and 1 positive result. Conclusion Salivary HIV testing appears to be a reliable alternative to more invasive blood sample rapid HIV tests or ELISA. In remote and poorly resourced areas this may be a simple alternative to phlebotomy especially in young children.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Saliva, HIV Antibodies, HIV, HIV Seropositivity, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Research Design, Sensitivity and Specificity, HIV Seroprevalence, Developing Countries, HIV Seronegativity, Adult, Humans, Child, blood, immunology

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