DRUGS OF ABUSE IN SALIVA

THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE FESSIBILITY OF USING SALIVA AS AN ALTERNATIVE BIOLOGICAL FLUID FOR THE QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF DRUGS OF ABUSE. COLLECTION OF SPECIMEN IS BASED ON A PATENTED DEVICE FOR THE COLLECTION OF AN ULTRAFILTRATE OF SALIVA WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. AS A NONINVASIVE METHOD, SALIVA CAN BE UNOBTRUSIVELY OBTAINED ON SITE WITHOUT INVASION OF PRIVACY AND THE RISK OF SAMPLE TAMPERING. THE USE OF THE SALIVA COLLECTION DEVICE FOR THE DETECTION OFONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ABUSED DRUGS, COCAINE, AND ITS MAJOR METABOLITE, BENZOYLECGONINE, WILL BE INVESTIGATED AS AMODEL SYSTEM IN PHASE I. THE UNIMPAIRED TRANSFER OF DRUGS FROM SALIVA INTO THE DEVICE, POTENTIAL NONSPECIFIC UPTAKE, AND THE STABILITY OF DRUGS WILL BE STUDIED. FINALLY, THE CONCENTRATIONS OF COCAINE AND BENZOYLECGONINE IN URINE, BLOOD, AND SALIVA FROM PATIENTS ATTENDING A DRUG REHABILITATION PROGRAM WILL BE CORRELATED. DURING PHASE II, THE APPLICATION OF THE COLLECTION DEVICE WILL BE EXTENDED TO OTHER DRUGS OF ABUSE AND APPLIED IN CONNECTION WITH A COLORIMETRIC IMMUNOASSAY SYSTEM THAT CAN BE UTILIZED ON SITE BY UNTRAINED PERSONNEL AND UNDER NONLABORATORY CONDITIONS.