DNA profiling in blood, buccal swabs, and hair follicles of transplantation patients

Abstract

Background/aim: Peripheral blood DNA profiles are often used in forensic identification and paternity investigations. Currently, because of the increasing number of patients who undergo transplantation, determining the history of transplantation has gained importance in forensic cases. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of genetic chimerism analysis of blood, hair follicle, and buccal swab samples for the forensic identification of transplant patients. Materials and methods: Blood, hair follicle, and buccal swab samples from five patients who had undergone allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT) and 35 patients who had undergone liver transplantation were analyzed. After isolation of DNA from the samples, specific short tandem repeat sequences were amplified using polymerase chain reaction and genotype was determined using capillary electrophoresis. Results: DNA profiles of the patients were compared. The DNA profiles of blood, hair follicle, and buccal swab samples of four patients who had undergone allo-PBSCT were completely different; there was no mixed chimerism. Conclusion: It is known that after successful allo-PBSCT, DNA profiles of peripheral blood samples show donor chimerism, those of buccal swab samples vary with duration after transplantation, and those of hair follicle samples remain unchanged. Our results were in agreement with these findings.