Saliva as a sampling source for the detection of leukemic fusion transcripts

BACKGROUND: Saliva has long been used as a sampling source for clinical diagnosis of oral disease such as oral squamous cell carcinoma, or therapeutic drug monitoring. The aims of this study was to ascertain if saliva RNA could be stored at room temperature and to study if saliva could be a convenient source for fusion transcripts in leukemic patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional diagnostic study. We first developed a Saliva RNA tube for stable storage of whole saliva RNA at room temperature. Then we detected the leukemic fusions in the whole saliva from seven leukemic patients and twenty healthy volunteers, and compared with the results obtained from the bone marrow of the patients. RESULTS: Human gene transcripts could be reproducibly detected in the whole saliva for at least four weeks when stored in the developed composition at room temperature. Concordant results of the fusion transcripts were obtained between the saliva and the bone marrow in the seven leukemic patients and no fusions were detected in the healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results support our hypothesis that human whole saliva could be a reliable and convenient sampling source for the detection of leukemic fusions.