title: Developmental validation of RSID-saliva: a lateral flow immunochromatographic strip test for the forensic detection of saliva.
abstract: Current methods for forensic identification of saliva generally assay for the enzymatic activity of alpha-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 microL of saliva. The sensitivity of RSID-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.
authors.affiliation: Independent Forensics, 4600 Roosevelt Road, Suite 201, Hillside, IL 60162, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Old
authors.forename: Brett A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Schweers
authors.forename: Pravat W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Boonlayangoor
authors.forename: Karl A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Reich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry; D014621:Vagina / Q000737:chemistry; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D000516:alpha-Amylases