1. Fingerprints as evidence for a genetic profile: morphological study on fingerprints and analysis of exogenous and individual factors affecting DNA typing
- Author
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Adriano Tagliabracci, Mauro Pesaresi, Monia Cecati, Chiara Turchi, Flavia Carle, and Federica Alessandrini
- Subjects
Touch DNA ,Biology ,Agar gel ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,law.invention ,Genetic profile ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,law ,Genetics ,Humans ,Typing ,Allele ,Dermatoglyphics ,Polymerase chain reaction ,Alleles ,Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ,DNA ,Forensic Medicine ,Wood ,chemistry ,Metals ,Glass ,Hand Disinfection - Abstract
Material recovered from 374 fingerprints left by eleven laboratory workers on three different substrates (glass, wood, metal) at a standard pressure time of 30 s, with and without preliminary handwashing, was submitted to morphological, quantitative, and type analysis. Morphological and agarose-gel electrophoresis analysis showed that a non-negligible amount of epidermal corneal cells presented apoptotic alterations. The quantity of DNA recovered from fingerprints ranged between 0.04 to 0.2 ng, and in a significant number of experiments no DNA was detected. Handwashing reduced the amount of DNA recovered from fingerprints. The "shedder status" of the donor was a very important factor, causing inter-individual variations in the amount of DNA left by fingerprints. Spurious alleles from laboratory-based and secondary transfer contamination, stutters, and other artifacts described when analyzing low-copy-number DNA and capable of affecting correct profiles were observed.
- Published
- 2003