Assessment of the stability of DNA in specimens collected under conditions for drug testing—A pilot study. (February 2018) - White, Robert M.
Highlights: Initial and 1-month stability of urine for STR analysis. Initial and 1-month stability of neat oral fluid samples for STR analysis. Initial and 1-month stability of 3 pad-type oral fluid samples for STR analysis. Abstract: For forensic biological sample collections, the specimen donor is linked solidly to his or her specimen through a chain of custody (CoC) sometimes referenced as a chain of evidence. Rarely, a donor may deny that a urine or oral fluid (OF) specimen is his or her specimen even with a patent CoC. The goal of this pilot study was to determine the potential effects of short-term storage on the quality and quantity of DNA in both types of specimen under conditions that may be encountered with employment-related drug testing specimens. Fresh urine and freshly collected oral fluid all produced complete STR profiles. For the "pad" type OF collectors, acceptable DNA was extractable both from the buffer/preservative and the pad. Although fresh urine and OF produced complete STR profiles, partial profiles were obtained after storage for most samples. An exception was the DNA in the Quantisal OF collector, from which a complete profile was obtained for both freshly collected OF and stored OF.