Volume 54, Issue 4 pp. 866-873

Developmental Validation of RSID™-Saliva: A Lateral Flow Immunochromatographic Strip Test for the Forensic Detection of Saliva

Jennifer B. Old Ph.D.

Jennifer B. Old Ph.D.

Independent Forensics, 4600 Roosevelt Road, Suite 201, Hillside, IL 60162.

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Brett A. Schweers Ph.D.

Brett A. Schweers Ph.D.

Independent Forensics, 4600 Roosevelt Road, Suite 201, Hillside, IL 60162.

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Pravat W. Boonlayangoor Ph.D.

Pravat W. Boonlayangoor Ph.D.

Independent Forensics, 4600 Roosevelt Road, Suite 201, Hillside, IL 60162.

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Karl A. Reich Ph.D.

Karl A. Reich Ph.D.

Independent Forensics, 4600 Roosevelt Road, Suite 201, Hillside, IL 60162.

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First published: 23 June 2009
Citations: 71
Additional information and reprint requests:
Karl A. Reich, Ph.D.
Independent Forensics
4600 Roosevelt Road
Suite 201, Hillside
IL 60162
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Abstract: Current methods for forensic identification of saliva generally assay for the enzymatic activity of α-amylase, an enzyme long associated with human saliva. Here, we describe the Rapid Stain IDentification (RSID™-Saliva), a lateral flow immunochromatographic strip test that uses two antisalivary amylase monoclonal antibodies to detect the presence of salivary amylase, rather than the activity of the enzyme. We demonstrate that RSID™-Saliva is accurate, reproducible, and highly sensitive for human saliva; RSID™-Saliva detects less than 1 μL of saliva. The sensitivity of RSIDTM-Saliva allows investigators to sample a fraction of a questioned stain while retaining the majority for DNA-STR analysis. We demonstrate that RSID™-Saliva identifies saliva from a variety of materials (e.g., cans, bottles, envelopes, and cigarette-butts) and it does not cross-react with blood, semen, urine, or vaginal fluid. RSID™-Saliva is a useful forensic test for determining which evidentiary items contain saliva and thus may yield a DNA profile.

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