Individual shedder status and the origin of touch DNA

Jansson, Linda; Swensson, Marie; Gifvars, Emma; Hedell, Ronny; Forsberg, Christina; Ansell, Ricky; Hedman, Jonas

doi:10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102626

Cited by 28 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…As discussed earlier, this might be due to the shedder status of the volunteers included in this study, which is an individual-specific characteristic. The propensity to leave DNA behind or the shedder status of an individual has shown its correlation with the DNA accumulated in the active hand and skin of the face [ 23 ], whereas we did not find any literature to correlate the shedder status of an individual in the oral region of the individual to the best of our knowledge. However, no statistically significant variation ( P < 0.05) was found among the DNA obtained from different mask-types, portion of mask selected for DNA sampling, and number of days the mask is reused by the host before its disposal.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…This non-linear relationship between the amount of DNA obtained due to the touch may be attributed to an individual’s specific characteristic which depends on the individual’s shedder status [ 19 ]. The propensity to leave DNA on different parts of a face-mask can also be due to an individual’s specific characteristics [ 20 ]. This might be the reason for not generating a uniform pattern of the quantity of extracted DNA within different intervals of time.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of face masks as a valuable forensic DNA evidence in the post-COVID era

2023

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After the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, a sharp surge in the usage of the face-masks throughout the globe has been observed. Pre-experiment survey of 252 individuals indicated a higher use of cotton-make masks (41%), followed by N-95 make (31%), and surgical disposable masks (26%). It was also further revealed that a higher fraction of individuals wear a face-mask more than 3 times (37%) before its disposal. In order to assess the potential usability of different mask types as forensic DNA evidence, a study was conducted on 50 healthy individuals. DNA content of different fractions such as the portion of mask covering the mouth region and the ear-piece showed a good source of host DNA. Though no statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05) was found in the DNA quantity obtained from different face mask types, an increasing trend was obtained in the order: cloth make type (7.031 ± 0.31 ng), N-95 make (4.711 ± 0.15 ng), and surgical disposable type (2.17 ± 0.13 ng). The time of wearing of a face-mask showed a positive correlation with the yield of DNA irrespective of the face-mask type used. Samples retrieved from both the portions covering the mouth area and the ear-piece showed a good source of genomic DNA yielding an average of 4.82 ± 0.11 ng and 4.44 ± 0.10 ng of DNA, respectively. Irrespective of the face-mask types, number of reuse, and the portion of the mask, 66.66–96.11% of samples showed a complete autosomal STR DNA profile. This suggests that if a face-mask is found at the crime scene, it should be collected and preserved as a potential source of DNA evidence for routine forensic DNA analysis.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 56%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of face masks as a valuable forensic DNA evidence in the post-COVID era

2023

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“…Previous studies have demonstrated that sweat is the major contributor to touch DNA [34, 35]. Thus, the higher the sweating rate, the greater the accumulation of DNA present on the skin [35].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High‐resolution melt analysis for the detection of skin/sweat via DNA methylation

et al. 2022

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The determination of tissue type is important when reconstructing a crime scene as skin cells may indicate innocent contact, whereas other types of cells, such as blood and semen, may indicate foul play. Up to now, there has been no specific DNA methylation-based marker to distinguish skin cell DNA from other body fluids. The goal of this study is to develop a DNA methylation-based assay to detect and identify skin cells collected at forensic crime scenes for use in DNA typing. For this reason, we have utilized a DNA methylation chip arraybased genome-wide association study to identify skin-specific DNA methylation markers. DNA obtained from skin along with other body fluids, such as semen, saliva, blood, and vaginal epithelia, were tested using five genes that were identified as sites for potential new epigenetic skin markers. Samples were collected, bisulfite converted, and subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with high-resolution melt analysis. In our studies, when using WDR11, PON2, and NHSL1 assays with bisulfite-modified PCR, skin/sweat amplicons melted at lower temperatures compared to blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal epithelia.One-way analysis of variance demonstrates that these three skin/sweat markers are significantly different when compared with other body fluids (p < 0.05).These results demonstrate that high-resolution melt analysis is a promising technology to detect and identify skin/sweat DNA from other body fluids.

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“…Efforts have been made to estimate the quantity of DNA transferred in primary versus secondary transfer scenarios [ 322 ]. As quantities of DNA transferred can be highly variable and thought to be dependent on the so-called “shedder status” – how much DNA an individual exudes, several studies explored this topic [ [323] , [324] , [325] , [326] , [327] ]. Studies have also considered the level of DNA an individual transfers to untouched items in their immediate surroundings [ 328 ], the position and level of DNA transferred during digital sexual assault [ 329 ] or during various activities with worn upper garments [ 330 , 331 ], and the DNA composition on the surface of evidence bags pre- and post-exhibit examination [ 332 ].…”

Section: Advancements In Current Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances in forensic biology and forensic DNA typing: INTERPOL review 2019–2022

Butler

2023

Forensic Science International: Synergy

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Individual shedder status and the origin of touch DNA

Cited by 28 publications

References 40 publications

Evaluation of face masks as a valuable forensic DNA evidence in the post-COVID era

Evaluation of face masks as a valuable forensic DNA evidence in the post-COVID era

High‐resolution melt analysis for the detection of skin/sweat via DNA methylation

Recent advances in forensic biology and forensic DNA typing: INTERPOL review 2019–2022

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