ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 3

Gender Identification of Dried Human Bloodstains Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Geisinger, KR
Professor and Director of Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University,

Pettenati, MJ
Associate and Assistant Professors, Section on Medical Genetics, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, NC

Lantz, PE
Assistant Professor and Forensic Pathologist, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University,

Rao, PN
Associate and Assistant Professors, Section on Medical Genetics, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, NC

Hayworth-Hodge, R
Molecular Cytogenetic Technologists, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University,

Schnell, S
Molecular Cytogenetic Technologists, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University,

(Received 13 October 1994; accepted 1 February 1995)

Abstract

Identification of the gender of an individual(s) from whom a bloodstain is derived represents important evidence in medicolegal cases. The efficacy of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using chromosome X and Y centromeric probes was tested to determine its ability to identify correctly the gender of extracted dried bloodstains. In this preliminary study, FISH correctly identified the gender of 2-week-old dried bloodstains in prepared mixtures of male-to-female blood as low as 1%. The technique is accurate, rapid, sensitive, easily performed and readily available. This application of FISH as a forensic laboratory technique holds great promise.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, gender determination, DNA, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), blood, dried bloodstains

Paper ID: JFS15403J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS15403J
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