OMNIgene®•ORAL (OM-505) stabilizes RNA from human viruses
at room temperature for several weeks
OMNIgene®•ORAL (OM-505) is designed to collect andstabilize microbial DNA and RNA from saliva. In thiswhite paper, we demonstrate that OMNIgene•ORAL
stabilizes the RNA from a human virus for up to
21 days at room temperature.

Introduction
The successful and accurate detection of viruses andbacteria by molecular techniques greatly depends on
the quality of the sample. Poorly preserved samples
may provide misleading results including false
negatives or false positives, can negatively impact thetreatment of patients, mislead the interpretation of
the effect of medication (antibiotics and antiviraldrugs) or can skew the results of epidemiology studies.
In addition to the clinical relevance of sample quality
and stability, the study of microorganisms using
molecular detection methods requires that the sample
resemble an “in vivo” state. Poorly stabilized samples
can impact the results in several ways, including:••••a selective overgrowth of a subsetof microorganisms,
the formation of spores,the destruction of viruses, andthe chemical and enzymatic degradationof nucleic acids (RNA in particular).

Current strategies to mitigate these stability
challenges include storing and transporting samples
at low temperatures, fast turn-around time during
processing and drying the samples over solid
matrix (i.e., paper). These strategies are expensive,
impractical and in some cases inefficient.

OMNIgene•ORAL is an all-in-one system for thecollection and stabilization of microbial DNA
and RNA from saliva. The kit enables long-term
stability of nucleic acids at ambient temperature.
The collection method allows for the painless andnon-invasive collection of high quality samples
that facilitates nucleic acid detection from DNAand RNA viruses and bacteria with broadly usedmolecular methods/instruments (e.g., RT-qPCR,
Abbott m2000rt instrument).
This technical bulletin describes the stability of ahuman RNA virus in saliva samples collected with
the OMNIgene•ORAL kit. Samples spiked with
Human Immunodeficiency Virus -1 were used forthe detection of viral RNA using the Abbott m2000rt
RealTime System. The Abbott m2000rt instrument
is a broadly used device for the detection of RNAviruses in research and clinical settings. This
instrument is recognized for its accuracy andefficient workflow.

Material and methods
Saliva samples were collected with OMNIgene•ORAL
as per the kit instructions. The samples were spiked
with a known amount of HIV virus in plasma (lowcopy, 2.7 LOG [IU/mL]; medium 3.4 LOG [IU/mL]
and high copy, 4.1 LOG [IU/mL]). These samples
were briefly mixed and were processed immediately
or after 21 days incubation at room temperature(20°C to 25°C). All samples were processed intriplicate with the Abbott m2000rt RealTime Systemfor the detection of HIV.

For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Not available for clinical diagnostic use in the United States.
PD-WP-00024 Issue 3/2015-06© 2015 DNA Genotek Inc., a subsidiary of OraSure Technologies, Inc., all rights reserved.

www.dnagenotek.com • support@dnagenotek.com

Results

HIV RNA detection

LOG (IU/mL)

432
10

Day 0Day 21

Figure 2: Detection of viral RNA from OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples
using Abbott m2000rt instrument. Samples were spiked using known
amounts HIV virus. No differences were observed between day 0 (low copy
2.7 ± 0.04 LOG [IU/mL]; medium 3.4 ± 0.02, LOG [IU/mL] and high copy,
4.1 ± 0.02 LOG [IU/mL]) and day 21 (low copy 2.7 ± 0.05 LOG [IU/mL];
medium 3.4 ± 0.0, LOG [IU/mL] and high copy, 4.2 ± 0.05 LOG [IU/mL]).
Spiked OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples processed immediately (left)or after 21 days at room temperature (right).

43210HIV RNA stability inOMNIgene•ORAL/saliva sample

LOG (IU/mL)OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples spiked with HIVvirus (low, medium and high viral loads) were
processed with the Abbott m2000rt RealTime System.
Quantitative results showed equivalent amountsof RNA between OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples
and the corresponding controls at both time points(Figure 1). This result indicates that saliva samples
collected with OMNIgene•ORAL can be reliably
used for the detection of viral RNA using theAbbott m2000rt RealTime System.

Conclusions
ControlOM-505/saliva
Day 0Figure 1: Detection of RNA from HIV-1 immediately aftercollection using Abbott m2000rt instrument. No difference wasobserved between the control samples. Left – spiked control
samples; right – spiked OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva samples.

OMNIgene•ORAL stabilizes viral RNA from humanRNA viruses for up to 21 days at room temperature.
Saliva collected with OMNIgene•ORAL is fullycompatible with the Abbott m2000rt RealTime System
for the detection of RNA from human viruses.

OMNIgene•ORAL/saliva spiked samples werestored at room temperature for 21 days and processed
as previously described. No differences in the HIVviral RNA quantification were observed between
the samples processed immediately after collection
or after 21 days. (Figure 2).These results indicatethat viral RNA in saliva samples collected withOMNIgene•ORAL is stable for up to 3 weeks
at room temperature.

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-00024 Issue 3/2015-06© 2015 DNA Genotek Inc., a subsidiary of OraSure Technologies, Inc., all rights reserved.

www.dnagenotek.com • support@dnagenotek.com

2