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Numerous studies relate differences in microbial communities to human health and disease, however little is known about microbial changes that occur post mortem or the possible applications of microbiome analysis in the field of forensic science. The aim of this review was study the microbiome and its applications in forensic sciences, to determine the main lines of investigation that are emerging, as well as its possible contributions in the forensic field. A systematic review of the human microbiome in relation to forensic science was carried out following PRISMA guidelines. This study throws light on the role of microbiome research in the postmortem interval during the process of decomposition; identifying death caused by drowning or sudden death; locating the geographical location of death; establishing a connection between human microbiome and personal items, sexual contact, and the identification of individuals. Actinomycetaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Alcaligenaceae and Bacilli play an important role in determining the postmortem interval. Aeromonas can be used to determine the cause of death, and Corynebacterium or Helicobacter pylori to ascertain personal identity or geographical location. Several studies point to a promising future for microbiome analysis in the different fields of forensic science, opening up an important new area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The pathophysiology of drowning is complex and, sometimes, interpretation of the circumstances of death in the autopsy becomes the main source of information in its diagnosis. New advances in medical research, such as proteomics, especially in forensic pathology, are still in the development. We proposed to investigate the application of Mass Spectrometry-based technologies, to identify differentially expressed proteins that may act as potential biomarkers in the postmortem diagnosis of drowning. We performed a pilot proteomic experiment with the inclusion of two drowned and two control forensic cases. After applying restrictive parameters, we identified apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and α-1 antitrypsin as differentially expressed between the two diagnostic groups. A validation experiment, with the determination of both proteins in 25 forensic cases (16 drowned and 9 controls) was performed, and we corroborated ApoA1 higher values in the drowning group, whereas α-1 antitrypsin showed lower levels. After adjusting by confounder factors, both remained as predictive independent factors for diagnosis of drowning ( p = 0.010 and p = 0.022, respectively). We constructed ROC curves for biomarkers' levels attending at the origin of death and established an ApoA1 cut-off point of 100 mg/dL. Correct classification based on the diagnosis criteria was reached for 73.9% of the cases in a discriminant analysis. We propose apolipoprotein A1 (with our cutoff value for correct classification) and α-1 antitrypsin as valuable biomarkers of drowning. Our study, based on forensic cases, reveals our proteomic approach as a new complementary tool in the forensic diagnosis of drowning and, perhaps, in clinical future implications in drowned patients. However, this is a pilot approach, and future studies are necessary to consolidate our promising preliminary data.

Objective: To quantify and to evaluate the reliability of Primary Care (PC) computerised medication records of as an information source of patient chronic medications, and to identify associated factors with the presence of discrepancies., Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study., Location: General Referral Hospital in Murcia., Participants: Patients admitted to the cardiology-chest diseases unit, during the months of February to April 2013, on home treatment, who agreed to participate in the study., Main Measurements: Evaluation of the reliability of Primary Care computerised medication records by analysing the concordance, by identifying discrepancies, between the active medication in these records and that recorded in pharmacist interview with the patient/caregiver. Identification of associated factors with the presence of discrepancies was analysed using a multivariate logistic regression., Results: The study included a total of 308 patients with a mean of 70.9 years (13.0 SD). The concordance of active ingredients was 83.7%, and this decreased to 34.7% when taking the dosage into account. Discrepancies were found in 97.1% of patients. The most frequent discrepancy was omission of frequency (35.6%), commission (drug added unjustifiably) (14.6%), and drug omission (12.7%). Age older than 65 years (1.98 [1.08 to 3.64]), multiple chronic diseases (1.89 [1.04 to 3.42]), and have a narcotic or psychotropic drug prescribed (2.22 [1.16 to 4.24]), were the factors associated with the presence of discrepancies., Conclusions: Primary Care computerised medication records, although of undoubted interest, are not be reliable enough to be used as the sole source of information on patient chronic medications when admitted to hospital., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)