title: Saliva as a source of genomic DNA for genetic studies: review of current methods and applications.
abstract: DNA isolated from saliva has become an attractive alternative to the use of blood-derived DNA in genetic studies and is now extensively used in many applications. This review addresses advantages of saliva DNA for large population-based studies and points out caveats for use in certain techniques. We compiled data comparing saliva-derived genomic DNA to blood-derived DNA with regards to quality, quantity and convenience. Special attention is given to the usefulness of saliva-derived DNA for PCR-based methods and genome-wide analyses.
authors.forename: Fanyue
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Reconstructive Sciences, Center for Regenerative Medicine and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-3705, USA; Tel: 860-679-2062; Fax: 860-679-2910; e-mail: reichenberger@uchc.edu.
authors.forename: Ernst J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Reichenberger