Compatibility of saliva collected using OMNIgene®•ORAL (OM-505)
with the Abbott m2000rt RealTime System for the detection of viral RNA
OMNIgene®•ORAL (OM-505) is designed to collectand stabilize microbial DNA and RNA from saliva.
In this document, we demonstrate that saliva collectedwith this kit is fully compatible with Abbott m2000rt
instrument for the detection of RNA from viruses(i.e., HIV and HCV).

Introduction
The detection of human viruses is essential forthe effective assessment and treatment of patients.
Current systems provide streamlined workflows fornucleic acid extraction from pathogens of interest;
followed by their detection using sensitive techniques(i.e., qPCR). These systems can provide qualitative
and/or quantitative results as required by practitioners.
Proper assessment requires high quality samples toprovide diagnostic confidence and to avoid false
negatives. The detection of some viruses is particularly
challenging due to the labile nature of their nucleic
acids and structure. Sample collection of potentially
infectious samples is also challenging, as it can cause
unintended exposure of medical personal and other
patients to pathogens. Infectious agents transmitted
through contact with oral fluids (i.e., influenza) areparticularly difficult to control because they are easilytransmitted from person to person.
OMNIgene•ORAL is an all-in-one system for thecollection and ambient temperature stabilization of
microbial DNA and RNA present in saliva. This kit
allows for the painless and non-invasive collectionof high quality samples that facilitate nucleic aciddetection from viruses and bacteria. The Abbott
m2000rt instrument is broadly used for the detectionof RNA viruses in research and clinical settings.
This instrument is recognized for its accuracy
and efficient workflow.

This technical bulletin describes the detectionof human HCV Armored RNA or Human
Immunodeficiency Virus -1 spiked into saliva samples
collected with OMNIgene•ORAL and processedusing the Abbott m2000rt RealTime System.

Material and methods
Alcohol was added to the OMNIgene•ORAL/
saliva samples to facilitate integration and detection
with the Abbott m2000rt instrument. This step
was validated using control samples spiked withHCV Armored RNA (AsuraGen). All controls
were included as per manufacturer protocol.
Saliva samples were collected with OMNIgene•ORAL
as per instructions. The samples were spiked with aknown amount of HCV Armored RNA (low copy,
2.95 LOG [IU/mL]; medium copy, 4.95 LOG [IU/mL]
and high copy, 6.95 LOG [IU/mL] or HIV virus fromthe plasma of infected patients (low copy, 2.70 LOG[IU/mL]; medium copy, 3.40 LOG [IU/mL] and highcopy, 4.18 LOG [IU/mL]). The samples were briefly
mixed. Alcohol was added to all samples prior toprocessing. All samples were processed in triplicate
with the Abbott m2000rt RealTime System for thedetection of HCV and HIV.

Results
Preliminary results suggested that the addition ofa small amount of alcohol facilitates the integrationof OMNIgene•ORAL samples with automatedextraction systems such as the Abbot m2000rt. Alcohol
was added to control samples containing known
amounts of HCV Armored RNA (low, medium andhigh copy). Quantitative results of the control with orwithout alcohol showed equivalent amounts of RNA.

For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Not available for clinical diagnostic use in the United States.
PD-WP-00025 Issue 2/2015-03© 2015 DNA Genotek Inc., a subsidiary of OraSure Technologies, Inc., all rights reserved.

www.dnagenotek.com • support@dnagenotek.com

These results confirmed that the performance of theAbbott instrument is not affected by the presence ofalcohol in the sample (Figure 1).

HCV RNA detection
8786

LOG (IU/mL)

7

LOG (IU/mL)

65543423

1

20

10

Internal
control

ControlInternalcontrol

Control +alcohol

OM-505/saliva

HIV RNA detection

Figure 1: Detection of RNA from HCV Armored RNA using Abbott
m2000rt instrument from spiked control samples with our withoutalcohol. No difference was observed between the control samples.
Left – internal control (provided by the manufacturer); center – spikedcontrol samples; right – spiked control samples containing alcohol.

54LOG (IU/mL)

Saliva samples collected using OMNIgene•ORAL werespiked with HCV Armored RNA or HIV virus (low,medium and high viral loads). OMNIgene•ORAL
spiked samples were processed as previouslydescribed (see above). No differences in theHCV and HIV viral RNA quantification wereobserved between the spiked OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva sample and the corresponding controls(Figure 2). These results indicate that saliva samples
collected with OMNIgene•ORAL can be reliably
used for the detection of viral RNA using theAbbott m2000rt RealTime System.

Control

3210

Internalcontrol

Control

OM-505/saliva

Figure 2: Detection of viral RNA from OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples
using Abbott m2000rt instrument. Samples were spiked using
known amounts of HCV Armored RNA (top) or HIV virus (bottom).
No differences were observed between saliva samples and thecorresponding control samples. Left – internal control; center – spiked
control samples; right – spiked OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples.

Conclusions
Saliva collected with OMNIgene•ORAL is fullycompatible with the Abbott m2000rt RealTime System
for the detection of RNA from human viruses.

Some DNA Genotek products may not be available in all geographic regions.
®OMNIgene is a registered trademark of DNA Genotek Inc. All other brands and names contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
All DNA Genotek protocols, white papers and application notes, are available in the support section of our website at www.dnagenotek.com.

For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Not available for clinical diagnostic use in the United States.
PD-WP-00025 Issue 2/2015-03© 2015 DNA Genotek Inc., a subsidiary of OraSure Technologies, Inc., all rights reserved.

www.dnagenotek.com • support@dnagenotek.com

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