No abstract

Two PCR amplified loci and 3 single locus DNA probes were applied in a paternity case in which a married woman became pregnant after being raped. DNA analysis were performed using samples from the woman, her husband and amniotic fluid cells taken during the 16th week of pregnancy. The combined probability of paternity for her husband was calculated as 0.999997107. The application of PCR analyses and single locus DNA probes were considered to be extremely informative in prenatal paternity testing.

A mouse monoclonal antibody against an amniotic protein carrying ABH antigenic epitopes was established. BALB/c mice were immunized by an amniotic protein of molecular weight over 200 kDa, which had proved to be the carrier protein of ABH blood group epitopes by analysis with SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. The antibody, ASP-1, was directed to the amniotic carrier protein without affecting the ABH blood group antigenicity, and did not cross-react with other body fluids which included blood, saliva, semen, urine or vaginal secretion. The immunoglobulin class of ASP-1 was IgGI with a titer of 1:1,600. ASP-1 was used to detect the ABH blood group of amniotic fluid by the sandwich ELISA in which wells of plates were coated with ASP-1, and the ABH blood group of the captured protein was detected with mouse IgM anti-A and -B antibodies and enzyme conjugated anti-mouse IgM. The sandwich ELISA could successfully detect the blood group of amniotic fluid in mixed body fluids. amniotic fluid; ABH blood group; ELISA; monoclonal antibody; forensic serologyThe identification of pregnancy from evidence found at a scene may give information for criminal investigations in cases of neonaticide. As a hallmark of the delivery, some pregnancy associated proteins have been studied (Sagisaka and Takahashi 1975), whereas attempts to detect the amniotic fluid from the scene are less common. It has been confirmed that the ABH blood group antigen in amniotic fluid are derived from the fetus in and after mid-trimester (Ogita et al. 1975). The amniotic protein carrying the ABH blood group epitopes, however, has not been identified. The evidence originating from amniotic fluid should co-exist with that of other body fluids such as blood, urine and vaginal secretions with few exceptions. Thus, ABO blood grouping of each constituent of a mixed body fluid should be mandatory for the scene investigation in cases of neonaticide. In this study, we analysed an amniotic protein carrying the ABH blood group antigens and established a monoclonal antibody against it. The potential avail-