Feasibility of Using Saliva as a Screening Specimen for Detection of Human Cytomegalovirus(hcmv) in Newborns

Previous studies have shown that saliva is an important specimen for the diagnosis of congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV). It is not only easy to collect without trauma to the newborn but neonates shed large volume of the virus in their saliva. Saliva which usually carry high viral load in infected patients especially in children, contain several components which inhibit the sensitivity of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in detecting CMV DNA. Two extraction methods; Guanidinium thiocyanate (GuSCN), Polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used. Both methods extracted CMV DNA at various degrees from saliva. Both PEG and GuSCN were efficient in removing salivary inhibitors in single individual saliva specimen than in pooled saliva probably due to more inhibitors in pooled saliva than in single saliva specimen. PEG was more efficient than GuSCN in the extraction of CMV DNA in pooled saliva. The PCR sensitivity achieved in single saliva specimen was ten-fold higher than in pooled saliva.