A validation study of DNA methylation-based age prediction using semen in forensic casework samples

Lee, Jee Won; Choung, Chong Min; Jung, Ju Yeon; Lee, Hwan Young; Lim, Si Keun

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2018.01.005

Cited by 29 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Lee et al. have reported a validation study of DNA methylation‐based age prediction using semen in forensic casework samples, but mixed body fluids were not tested. In order to use DNA methylation assays in rape cases, it is important to remove the victim's DNA from mixed samples which often contains vaginal epithelial cells in a greater amount than sperm.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methylation‐Based Age Prediction Using Pyrosequencing Platform from Seminal Stains in Han Chinese Males

Song

Lang

et al. 2019

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Various methods have been performed to predict an unknown individual's age from biological traces in forensic investigations. A considerably accurate age prediction for the semen donor can help narrow down the search in a sexual assault case. The aim of this study was to develop an assay for age prediction from seminal stains in Han Chinese males. We built a sperm‐specific linear regression model using bisulfite pyrosequencing. Validations were conducted with a Mean Absolute Deviation from the chronological age (MAD) of 4.219 years in liquid semen, 4.158 years in fresh seminal stains, 4.393 years in aged seminal stains, and 3.880 years in mixed stains, respectively. Furthermore, our strategy enables accurate age prediction using a forensic casework sample. The strategy indicated that we produced an accurate and reliable age prediction tool for the semen donors in Han Chinese males for forensic purposes.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methylation‐Based Age Prediction Using Pyrosequencing Platform from Seminal Stains in Han Chinese Males

Song

Lang

et al. 2019

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…Eipel et al demonstrated that methylation of PDE4C (cg17861230) has a higher correlation to chronological age with saliva and buccal swabs than blood. While semen samples were detected mostly by NOX4 (cg06979108) then TTC7B (cg06304190) and cg12837463 with no gene associated (Lee et al 2015;Li et al 2017;Lee et al 2018;Richards et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Constructed models for blood data by applying MLRM with pyrosequencing achieved MAD of about 3-4 years (Zubakov et al 2016;Zbiec-Piekarska et al 2015a;Park et al 2016). The combination of MLRM based on SNaPshot data also provided predicted age from semen (Lee et al 2015;Lee et al 2018) or saliva (Hong et al 2017;Hong et al 2019;Jung et al 2019) with MAD of 3-5 years. A disadvantage of the multivariate linear model was oversimplicity to explain the relationship between DNA methylation and age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age estimation using DNA methylation technique in forensics: a systematic review

Maulani

Auerkari

2020

Egypt J Forensic Sci

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Background In addition to the DNA sequence, epigenetic markers have become substantial forensic tools during the last decade. Estimating the age of an individual from human biological remains may provide information for a forensic investigation. Age estimation in molecular strategies can be obtained by telomere length, mRNa mutation, or by sjTRECs but the accuracy is not sufficient in forensic practice because of high margin error. Main body One solution to this problem is to use DNA methylation methods. DNA methylation markers for tissue identification at age-associated CpG sites have been suggested as the most informative biomarkers for estimating the age of an unknown donor. This review aims to give an overview of DNA methylation profiling for estimating the age in cases of forensic relevance and the important aspects in determining the mean absolute deviation (MAD) or mean absolute error (MAE) of the estimated age. Online database searching was performed through PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar with keywords selected for forensic age estimation. Thirty-two studies were included in the review, with variable DNA samples but blood commonly as a source. Pyrosequencing and EpiTYPER were methods mostly used in DNA analysis. The MAD in the estimates from DNA methylation was about 3 to 5 years, which was better than other methods such as those based on telomere length or signal-joint T-cell receptor excision circles. The ELOVL2 gene was a commonly used DNA methylation marker in age estimation. Conclusion DNA methylation is a favorable candidate for estimating the age at the time of death in forensic profiling, with an uncertainty mean absolute deviation of about 3 to 5 years in the predicted age. The sample type, platform techniques used, and methods to construct age predictive models were important in determining the accuracy in mean absolute deviation or mean absolute error. The DNA methylation outcome suggests good potential to support conventional STR profiling in forensic cases.

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“…An alternative would be to develop simplified methylation assays based on few CpGs that show a clock‐like pattern of methylation with increasing age. Such simplified epigenetic age predictors have been developed for humans samples of low quantity or quality for forensic purposes, and although they demonstrate reduced accuracy in chronological age prediction relative to comprehensive clocks, these simplified clocks nevertheless outperform other forensic molecular age estimation techniques . Similar assays have also been developed for long‐term demographic study of humpback whales, and, most recently, for chimpanzees .…”

Section: What Can Epigenetic Clocks Tell Us About the Biology Of Aginmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic Clocks

Guevara

Lawler

2018

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Recent research has revealed clock‐like patterns of epigenetic change across the life span in humans. Models describing these epigenetic changes have been dubbed “epigenetic clocks,” and they can not only predict chronological age but also reveal biological age, which measures physiological homeostasis and deterioration over the life span. Comparative studies of the epigenetic clocks of different primate species are likely to provide insights into the evolution of life history schedules, as well as shed light on the physiological and genetic bases of aging and aging‐related diseases. Chronological age estimation using clock‐based calculators may also offer biological anthropologists a useful tool for applying to forensic and demographic studies.

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A validation study of DNA methylation-based age prediction using semen in forensic casework samples

Cited by 29 publications

References 25 publications

Methylation‐Based Age Prediction Using Pyrosequencing Platform from Seminal Stains in Han Chinese Males

Methylation‐Based Age Prediction Using Pyrosequencing Platform from Seminal Stains in Han Chinese Males

Age estimation using DNA methylation technique in forensics: a systematic review

Epigenetic Clocks

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