Lack of detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in the saliva of infected children and adolescents
A. J. Melvin, G. S. Tamura, J. K. House, A. C. Hobson, R. W. Cone, L. M. Frenkel and S. Burchett
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, Wash, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus type
1 (HIV-1) in the saliva of infected children and adolescents. METHODS:
Saliva and blood samples were collected from 13 patients (age range, 1-15
years) with HIV-1 infection. Eleven were taking antiretroviral agents. The
presence of HIV-1 was determined by polymerase chain reaction analysis of
RNA and DNA as well as by viral culture of the saliva samples and by
culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Although HIV-1 was
cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 12 patients, it was not
cultured from their saliva. Only 1 of 13 saliva samples yielded positive
test results for HIV-1 RNA, and none did so for HIV-1 DNA. The specimen
containing HIV-1 RNA was from an untreated 10-year-old asymptomatic boy
with a CD4+ lymphocyte count of 0.91 x 10(9)/L (913 cells/microL) and no
infectious virus detected in plasma. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HIV-1 in
the saliva of HIV-1-infected children and adolescents is low and may not be
infectious.
