Highly efficient nuclear DNA typing of the World War II skeletal remains using three new autosomal short tandem repeat amplification kits with the extended European Standard Set of loci

Pajnic, Zupanic; B, Gornjak Pogorelc; Balažic, Jože; Zupanc, Tomaž; Štefanič, B.

doi:10.3325/cmj.2012.53.17

Cited by 31 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The previous studies conducted on WWII samples demonstrated increased possibility for nuclear DNA profiling of partial skeletal remains . Here, we confirmed and proved that combination of autosomal STR and Y‐STR approaches could result with positive identification of several unidentified skeletal remains even in the cases when only one living relative exists.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…DNA identification of human remains has almost two‐decades‐long history in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in the neighboring countries . DNA analysis applied within this study successfully identified and reassembled remains even several decades after they had been buried in the ground and after they were relocated by a powerful landslide.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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DNA Identification of Commingled Human Remains from the Cemetery Relocated by Flooding in Central Bosnia and Herzegovina

Čakar

Pilav

Džehverović

et al. 2017

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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ABSTRACT:The floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2014 caused landslides all over the country. In the small village of Serici, near the town of Zenica, a landslide destroyed the local cemetery, relocated graves, and commingled skeletal remains. As the use of other physical methods of identification (facial recognition, fingerprint analysis, dental analysis, etc.) was not possible, DNA analysis was applied. DNA was isolated from 20 skeletal remains (bone and tooth samples) and six reference samples (blood from living relatives) and amplified using PowerPlex â Fusion and PowerPlex â Y23 kits. DNA profiles were generated for all reference samples and 17 skeletal remains. A statistical analysis (calculation of paternity, maternity, and sibling indexes and matching probabilities) resulted in 10 positive identifications. In this study, 5 individuals were identified based on one reference sample. This has once again demonstrated the significance of DNA analysis in resolving the most complicated cases, such as the identification of commingled human skeletal remains.KEYWORDS: forensic science, DNA identification, skeletal remains, floods, landslides Identification of victims of mass disasters (wars, plane crashes, natural disasters) is usually challenging because large numbers of bodies are often found together at the same time and premortem information is not always available (1). The development of the latest technologies of genomic (both autosomal and germ line) and mitochondrial DNA analysis has provided an extremely efficient forensic tool for human identification. Moreover, DNA analysis has become a method used for validation/ rejection of the results obtained through the previous analyses, even in cases where the level of recognition and the possibility of identification of the body were relatively good (2). However, due to the rapid decay of the bodies, long time span, or other circumstances, forensic experts often rely exclusively on the analysis of DNA from skeletal or dental remains (3) for the purpose of identification of the victims of war or mass disasters.DNA analysis plays an important role in identifying human remains from mass graves and mass fatality incidents (4-6), and this powerful forensic tool is recognized as the most reliable method for human skeletal remains identification. The major advantage of DNA testing is the identification of almost each and every portion of the remains recovered from the disaster site or mass graves. On the other hand, small quantities of DNA and/or degraded DNA material found can often complicate DNA analysis and the interpretation by the laboratory (7). In such cases, mtDNA, miniSTRs, and STR markers located on Y and X chromosomes offer good solutions (8). Also, multiplex STR kits that are available on the market today are responsive to small amounts of DNA and less sensitive to the presence of different inhibitors.Torrential rain in mid-May 2014 brought upon intense flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Floods affected a quarter of the country's territory, activated...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

DNA Identification of Commingled Human Remains from the Cemetery Relocated by Flooding in Central Bosnia and Herzegovina

Čakar

Pilav

Džehverović

et al. 2017

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…The latest studies conducted on the WWII samples (4,5,16-19) were done using STR techniques instead of mtDNA, which used to be the mostly used identification method for the samples from that period (20). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of human remains from the Second World War mass graves uncovered in Bosnia and Herzegovina

et al. 2015

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AimTo present the results obtained in the identification of human remains from World War II found in two mass graves in Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina.MethodsSamples from 10 skeletal remains were collected. Teeth and femoral fragments were collected from 9 skeletons and only a femoral fragment from 1 skeleton. DNA was isolated from bone and teeth samples using an optimized phenol/chloroform DNA extraction procedure. All samples required a pre-extraction decalcification with EDTA and additional post-extraction DNA purification using filter columns. Additionally, DNA from 12 reference samples (buccal swabs from potential living relatives) was extracted using the Qiagen DNA extraction method. QuantifilerTM Human DNA Quantification Kit was used for DNA quantification. PowerPlex ESI kit was used to simultaneously amplify 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci, and PowerPlex Y23 was used to amplify 23 Y chromosomal STR loci. Matching probabilities were estimated using a standard statistical approach.ResultsA total of 10 samples were processed, 9 teeth and 1 femoral fragment. Nine of 10 samples were profiled using autosomal STR loci, which resulted in useful DNA profiles for 9 skeletal remains. A comparison of established victims' profiles against a reference sample database yielded 6 positive identifications.ConclusionDNA analysis may efficiently contribute to the identification of remains even seven decades after the end of the World War II. The significant percentage of positively identified remains (60%), even when the number of the examined possible living relatives was relatively small (only 12), proved the importance of cooperation with the members of the local community, who helped to identify the closest missing persons’ relatives and collect referent samples from them.

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“…The overall matching rates were consistent with Marijanovic (29) although only half of estimated number of missing was accounted for by DNA in our study. Similar to other studies (29,30), several cases required testing with either additional autosomal STRs or Y-chromosome to confirm identify. Palo (31) only analyzed mtDNA, which was used to confirm presumptive identifications based on ID tags.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Molecular genetic methods have been used to identify victims of massacres that took place during and after WW II in Slovenia and Croatia . Also, Finnish soldiers that lost their lives in battles against the former Soviet Union have been identified and repatriated in a similar fashion .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of Missing Norwegian World War II Soldiers, in Karelia Russia

Morild

Hamre

Huel

et al. 2015

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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This article presents the multidisciplinary effort in trying to identify the skeletal remains of 100 Norwegian soldiers serving in the German army, killed in Karelia Russia in 1944, from the recovery of the remains through the final identification using DNA. Of the 150 bone samples sent for DNA testing, 93 DNA profiles were obtained relating to 57 unique individuals. The relatives could not be directly contacted as the soldiers were considered as traitors to Norway; therefore, only 45 reference samples, relating to 42 cases of the missing, were donated. DNA matches for 14 soldiers and 12 additional body part re-associations for these individuals were found. Another 24 bone samples were re-associated with 16 individuals, but no familial match was found. More than six decades after the end of WWII, DNA analysis can significantly contribute to the identification of the remains.

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Highly efficient nuclear DNA typing of the World War II skeletal remains using three new autosomal short tandem repeat amplification kits with the extended European Standard Set of loci

Cited by 31 publications

References 29 publications

DNA Identification of Commingled Human Remains from the Cemetery Relocated by Flooding in Central Bosnia and Herzegovina

DNA Identification of Commingled Human Remains from the Cemetery Relocated by Flooding in Central Bosnia and Herzegovina

Identification of human remains from the Second World War mass graves uncovered in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Identification of Missing Norwegian World War II Soldiers, in Karelia Russia

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