A cost-effective saliva test may have the potential to act as a non-invasive marker of immunity and thus enable assessment of vaccination and protection against bacterial infections such as pneumococcal infections in the human body, a study has found. A saliva test can be an attractive method of specimen collection particularly for children and the elderly people. Protection against bacterial infection is usually inferred by measuring antibody levels in blood serum.
But taking blood samples involves a number of logistical considerations and may not always be feasible, especially in developing countries or where children are involved. The study showed that IgG Pn antibodies in saliva correlated with antibody levels in serum in infants. The scientist suggested that antibody levels in saliva may be indicative of those in serum, therefore, has important implications for markers of immunity…
