AIM: To explore the diagnostic value of the detection of specific antibody in the saliva of patients with hydatid disease. METHODS: SPA sandwich-ELISA method was used to determine IgG in saliva of patients with hydatidosis and normal subjects. Antigen neutralization test was performed to identify the specificity of the salivary IgG. Serum and saliva antibodies were assayed by ELISA for a comparison. RESULTS: The salivary IgG levels in 32 normal subjects and 32 hydatidosis patients were 94.2±55.5 μg/ml and 105.6±65.4 μg/ml, respectively, being significantly different (P< 0.01). The antigen neutrali-zation test revealed that the inhibition rate of salivary IgG antibody responses in 40 hydatidosis patients were 30%-82.1%, and no inhibition effect was found in 32 normal subjects, demonstrating that the IgG antibody in saliva was specific antibody against echinococcus antigen. The IgG-ELISA tests of serum and saliva specimens from 89 hydatidosis patients and 129 normal subjects showed positive rate of 92.1% and 78.7% in serum and saliva, respectively. The coincidence rate for positives of saliva and serum were 80.5% while that for negatives were 98.3%. CONCLUSION: Salivary specific IgG antibody can be used as a parameter for the diagnosis of hydatid disease.