title: The mouthwash: a non-invasive sampling method to study cytokine gene polymorphisms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We describe a simple, non-invasive mouthwash sampling method for rapid DNA isolation to detect cytokine gene polymorphisms. In the present paper, interleukin- 1beta(IL-1B) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) gene polymorphisms were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two mouthwash samples and blood samples were collected from 11 healthy individuals. The second mouthwash sample was stored for 7 days at room temperature. Polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to identify a bi-allelic polymorphism at position +3953 in the IL-1B gene and a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in the IL-1RN gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results show that the typing of these cytokine gene polymorphisms using DNA isolated from mouthwash samples did not differ from those obtained by a phenol/chloroform isolation method from EDTA anti-coagulated blood. Moreover, reliable results from mouthwash samples were obtained after storage for at least 7 days at room temperature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mouthwash can be the method of choice to study gene polymorphisms in periodontitis and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, Department of Oral Biology, The Netherlands. ML.Laine.omb.acta@med.vu.nl
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Farré
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Crusius
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Winkelhoff
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Peña
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D009067:Mouthwashes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D013048:Specimen Handling; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D009067:Mouthwashes; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D004247:DNA