Salivary antibodies as a means of detecting human T cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus infection

Of 45 individuals seropositive for human T cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus, 45 were found to have detectable salivary antibodies to viral antigens by a radioimmunoprecipitation assay. The results also showed that a Western blot assay for salivary antibodies may be possible. The feasibility of a diagnostic test for human T cell lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus not requiring venipuncture is discussed.