Validation of an immunochromatographic D-dimer test to presumptively identify menstrual fluid in forensic exhibits

Holtkötter, Hannah; Dierig, Lisa; Schürenkamp, M.; Sibbing, Ulla; Pfeiffer, Heidi; Vennemann, Marielle

doi:10.1007/s00414-014-1097-7

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…34,35 Immunochromatography tests for D-dimer, a soluble fibrin degradation product detected clinically for the diagnosis of thrombosis, is recognized as a possible test for menstrual blood. 36,37 An alternative approach using ELISA targeting MMP14, estrogen receptor α, and fibrinogen was used to differentiate between peripheral and menstrual blood, although no other body fluids were tested for cross reactivity. 38…”

Section: Vaginal Secretions and Menstrual Bloodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic body fluid identification: state of the art

Harbison¹,

Fleming²

2016

RRFMS

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Body fluid identification is a key component in the forensic scientists' tool box and has been carried out both at the crime scene and in the laboratory for many years. Historically, methods relied on (bio) chemical-based tests, many of which lacked specificity. In this review, current technologies for identifying body fluids are described including the use of RNA (mRNA and miRNA), epigenetics, spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and microspectrophotometry, biosensors, and immunochromatographic methods which are outlined alongside their strengths and weaknesses. The potential for new insights into the identification of cells from new technologies such as massively parallel sequencing is explored.

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Section: Vaginal Secretions and Menstrual Bloodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic body fluid identification: state of the art

Harbison¹,

Fleming²

2016

RRFMS

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“…Forensic casework comes in great diversity, and questions can be put forward that cannot be addressed with existing methodologies. This feeds the development of new methods, like RNA typing assays which were especially triggered by the limitations for the tests for vaginal cellular material and menstrual secretion [72,[204][205][206][207] and the difficulties to apply immunohistochemical staining for organ tissues to samplings from bullets where the tissue tends to reside in the grooves [208]. It is interesting to reflect, in a retrospective manner, on which forensic questions RNA typing assays are applied in actual forensic casework, and whether this corresponds to the questions that initially triggered the development of the assays.…”

Section: Requests and Results For Rna Typing In Caseworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Identification of Body Fluids and Tissues: A Crucial Link in the Investigation and Solution of Crime

Sijen

Harbison

2021

Genes

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Body fluid and body tissue identification are important in forensic science as they can provide key evidence in a criminal investigation and may assist the court in reaching conclusions. Establishing a link between identifying the fluid or tissue and the DNA profile adds further weight to this evidence. Many forensic laboratories retain techniques for the identification of biological fluids that have been widely used for some time. More recently, many different biomarkers and technologies have been proposed for identification of body fluids and tissues of forensic relevance some of which are now used in forensic casework. Here, we summarize the role of body fluid/ tissue identification in the evaluation of forensic evidence, describe how such evidence is detected at the crime scene and in the laboratory, elaborate different technologies available to do this, and reflect real life experiences. We explain how, by including this information, crucial links can be made to aid in the investigation and solution of crime.

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“…This aids police investigations as it possibly provides the investigators with information on the course of the crime. Blood is one of the most commonly found body fluids at crime scenes, and accurate differentiation between peripheral blood and menstrual fluid could provide crucial evidence, e.g., regarding the issue of consent in sexual assault cases; while the presence of peripheral blood indicates a traumatic cause, menstrual fluid points towards a natural bleeding cause [ 1 ]. Some body fluids present in cases of alleged sexual assault, such as semen or saliva [ 2 , 3 ], can be detected reliably, but others are more challenging to detect, such as pre-ejaculate, menstrual blood, or vaginal fluid.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Immunochromatographic assays for body fluid detection have been shown to be highly specific and easy to use. Recently, initial work successfully introduced immunochromatographic assays that detect degradation products of fibrinolysis (FDPs) as innovative methods for the identification of menstrual fluid in forensic samples; during menstruation fibrinolysis, the endogenous degradation of fibrin after blood coagulation is a crucial step that enables menstrual fluid to easily pour out [ 1 , 15 ]. The most significant subtype of FDPs is D-dimer, a small protein fragment specific to the process of fibrinolysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Results showed that Clearview® Simplify D-Dimer (Alere, Cheshire, UK) was the kit expressing highest sensitivity and specificity, beyond which, its usage was simple and quick, and results were easy to interpret. The kit, originally developed for diagnostic purposes to detect D-dimers in peripheral blood as a marker for peripheral thromboembolism, was validated in 2014 by our group for the detection of menstrual fluid in forensically relevant samples [ 1 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forensic differentiation between peripheral and menstrual blood in cases of alleged sexual assault—validating an immunochromatographic multiplex assay for simultaneous detection of human hemoglobin and D-dimer

et al. 2017

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Sexual assault is a serious offense and identification of body fluids originating from sexual activity has been a crucial aspect of forensic investigations for a long time. While reliable tests for the detection of semen and saliva have been successfully implemented into forensic laboratories, the detection of other body fluids, such as vaginal or menstrual fluid, is more challenging. Especially, the discrimination between peripheral and menstrual blood can be highly relevant for police investigations because it provides potential evidence regarding the issue of consent. We report the forensic validation of an immunochromatographic test that allows for such discrimination in forensic stains, the SERATEC PMB test, and its performance on real casework samples. The PMB test is a duplex test combining human hemoglobin and D-dimer detection and was developed for the identification of blood and menstrual fluid, both at the crime scene and in the laboratory. The results of this study showed that the duplex D-dimer/hemoglobin assay reliably detects the presence of human hemoglobin and identifies samples containing menstrual fluid by detecting the presence of D-dimers. The method distinguished between menstrual and peripheral blood in a swab from a historical artifact and in real casework samples of alleged sexual assaults. Results show that the development of the new duplex test is a substantial progress towards analyzing and interpreting evidence from sexual assault cases.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00414-017-1719-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Validation of an immunochromatographic D-dimer test to presumptively identify menstrual fluid in forensic exhibits

Cited by 12 publications

References 21 publications

Forensic body fluid identification: state of the art

Forensic body fluid identification: state of the art

On the Identification of Body Fluids and Tissues: A Crucial Link in the Investigation and Solution of Crime

Forensic differentiation between peripheral and menstrual blood in cases of alleged sexual assault—validating an immunochromatographic multiplex assay for simultaneous detection of human hemoglobin and D-dimer

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