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Sijen T, Harbison S. On the Identification of Body Fluids and Tissues: A Crucial Link in the Investigation and Solution of Crime. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1728. [PMID: 34828334 PMCID: PMC8617621 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Body fluid and body tissue identification are important in forensic science as they can provide key evidence in a criminal investigation and may assist the court in reaching conclusions. Establishing a link between identifying the fluid or tissue and the DNA profile adds further weight to this evidence. Many forensic laboratories retain techniques for the identification of biological fluids that have been widely used for some time. More recently, many different biomarkers and technologies have been proposed for identification of body fluids and tissues of forensic relevance some of which are now used in forensic casework. Here, we summarize the role of body fluid/ tissue identification in the evaluation of forensic evidence, describe how such evidence is detected at the crime scene and in the laboratory, elaborate different technologies available to do this, and reflect real life experiences. We explain how, by including this information, crucial links can be made to aid in the investigation and solution of crime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Titia Sijen
- Division Human Biological Traces, Netherlands Forensic Institute, Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - SallyAnn Harbison
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited, Private Bag 92021, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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Liu J, Cheng X, Liu F, Hao T, Wang J, Guo J, Li J, Liu Z, Li W, Shi J, Zhang X, Li J, Yan J, Zhang G. Identification of coding region SNPs from specific and sensitive mRNA biomarkers for the deconvolution of the semen donor in a body fluid mixture. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 52:102483. [PMID: 33610949 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
mRNA markers provide a very promising method for the identification of human body fluids or tissues in the context of forensic investigations. Previous studies have shown that different body fluids can be distinguished from each other according to their specific mRNA biomarkers. In this study, we evaluated eight semen-specific mRNA markers (KLK3, NKX3-1, CKB, KLK2, PRAC1, SEMG1, TGM4, and SORD) that encompass 12 coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (cSNPs) to identify the semen contributor in a mixed stain. Five highly specific and sensitive mRNA markers for blood, menstrual blood, saliva, vaginal secretions, and skin were also incorporated into the PCR system as body fluid-positive controls. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), multiplex PCR and SNaPshot mini-sequencing assays were established for the identification of semen-specific mRNA. The amplicon size ranged from 133 to 337 bp. The semen-specific system was examined against blood, menstrual blood, saliva, vaginal secretions, and skin swabs. The eight mRNA biomarkers were semen-specific and could be successfully typed in laboratory-generated mixtures composed of different body fluids supplemented with 1 ng of semen cDNA. This system possessed a high sensitivity that ranged from 1:10-1:100 for detecting trace amounts of semen in semen-containing body fluid mixtures. Additionally, our results demonstrated that the cSNPs polymorphisms included in the mRNA markers were concordant with genomic DNA (gDNA). Despite the presence of other body fluids, the system exhibited high sensitivity and specificity to the semen in the mixture. In future studies, we will add other cSNPs from the semen-specific genes using massively parallel sequencing to further improve our system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinding Liu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaojuan Cheng
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Ting Hao
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Jiangling Guo
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Jintao Li
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Zidong Liu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Wenyan Li
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Jie Shi
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiuying Zhang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China
| | - Jiangwei Yan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China.
| | - Gengqian Zhang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong 030619, Shanxi, China.
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A novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for identification of four body fluids with smartphone detection. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2019; 45:102195. [PMID: 31835180 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2019.102195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Messenger RNA profiling for body fluid identification (bfID) is a useful approach to collect contextual information associated with a crime. Current methods require costly fluorescent probes, lengthy amplification protocols and/or time-consuming sample preparation. To simplify this process, we developed a bfID method that has the potential to be rapid in analysis time, inexpensive and fluorescence-free, combining a universal operating procedure with a high-throughout (microwell plate) platform for simultaneous detection of mRNA markers from whole blood, semen, saliva, and vaginal fluid. Full bfID sample preparation and analysis of 23 samples was completed in under 3 h using smart phone optical detection and analysis and show efficacy of the method in a validated blind study. The results provide an efficient, sensitive and specific approach to supplement the current biochemical tests in a forensic laboratory.
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Panoptic View of Prognostic Models for Personalized Breast Cancer Management. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091325. [PMID: 31500225 PMCID: PMC6770520 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The efforts to personalize treatment for patients with breast cancer have led to a focus on the deeper characterization of genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity among breast cancers. Traditional pathology utilizes microscopy to profile the morphologic features and organizational architecture of tumor tissue for predicting the course of disease, and is the first-line set of guiding tools for customizing treatment decision-making. Currently, clinicians use this information, combined with the disease stage, to predict patient prognosis to some extent. However, tumoral heterogeneity stubbornly persists among patient subgroups delineated by these clinicopathologic characteristics, as currently used methodologies in diagnostic pathology lack the capability to discern deeper genotypic and subtler phenotypic differences among individual patients. Recent advancements in molecular pathology, however, are poised to change this by joining forces with multiple-omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) that provide a wealth of data about the precise molecular complement of each patient's tumor. In addition, these technologies inform the drivers of disease aggressiveness, the determinants of therapeutic response, and new treatment targets in the individual patient. The tumor architecture information can be integrated with the knowledge of the detailed mutational, transcriptional, and proteomic phenotypes of cancer cells within individual tumors to derive a new level of biologic insight that enables powerful, data-driven patient stratification and customization of treatment for each patient, at each stage of the disease. This review summarizes the prognostic and predictive insights provided by commercially available gene expression-based tests and other multivariate or clinical -omics-based prognostic/predictive models currently under development, and proposes a more inclusive multiplatform approach to tackling the challenging heterogeneity of breast cancer to individualize its management. "The future is already here-it's just not very evenly distributed."-William Ford Gibson.
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Hassan FM, Razik HAA, Wadie MS, Abdelfattah DS. XIST and RPS4Y1 long non-coding RNA transcriptome as sex biomarkers in different body fluids. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1186/s41935-019-0122-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Jung JY, Yoon HK, An S, Lee JW, Ahn ER, Kim YJ, Park HC, Lee K, Hwang JH, Lim SK. Rapid oral bacteria detection based on real-time PCR for the forensic identification of saliva. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10852. [PMID: 30022122 PMCID: PMC6052055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29264-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This study developed a new method for forensic saliva identification using three oral bacteria, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Neisseria subflava, combined with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) system we called OB mRT-PCR. Analytical sensitivity results showed that the target bacteria were amplified at 102-107 copies/reaction, and analytical specificity was assessed using 24 other viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. To evaluate the OB mRT-PCR kit for forensic applications, saliva from 140 Korean individuals was tested, and at least two target bacteria were detected in all the samples. Additional studies on non-saliva samples demonstrated the specificity of the kit. Comparison of the kit with two conventional saliva test methods, the SALIgAE and RSID-Saliva assays, indicated that it was more sensitive and applicable to saliva samples in long-term storage (up to 14 weeks). Additionally, through amplification of mock forensic items and old DNA samples (isolated without lysis of the bacterial cells, regardless of their Gram-positivity), we found that the kit was applicable to not only saliva swabs, but also DNA samples. We suggest that this simple RT-PCR-based experimental method is feasible for rapid on-site analysis, and we expect this kit to be useful for saliva detection in old forensic DNA samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Yeon Jung
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Kyu Yoon
- JS Biotech, Business Incubation Center, Kyungbok University, 425 Kyungbokdae-ro, Jinjeop-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, 12051, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyun An
- DNA Analysis Division, Seoul Institute, National Forensic Service, 139, Jiyang-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, 08036, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee Won Lee
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Eu-Ree Ahn
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Ji Kim
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Chul Park
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungmyung Lee
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Hwang
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea
| | - Si-Keun Lim
- Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, 10, Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26460, Republic of Korea.
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Improvement and automation of a real-time PCR assay for vaginal fluids. Forensic Sci Int 2016; 262:179-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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