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A simple identification method for vaginal secretions using relative quantification of Lactobacillus DNA
Masanori Doi1, Shinsuke Gamo1, Tatsuyuki Okiura2
1Forensic Science Laboratory, Ehime Prefectural Police Headquarters, 2-2 Minamihoribatacho, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8573, Japan.
Forensic Science International. Genetics
|June 7, 2014
Summary
A new real-time PCR method accurately identifies vaginal secretions using Lactobacillus levels. This forensic tool offers reliable detection of crucial evidence in sexual assault investigations.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Identifying vaginal secretions is critical in sexual assault investigations.
- Current methods lack definitive identification capabilities for vaginal secretions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, reliable method for identifying vaginal secretions.
- To utilize Lactobacillus levels and real-time PCR for forensic analysis.
Main Methods:
- Developed a Lactobacillus conserved region primer pair (LCP) targeting major vaginal Lactobacillus species.
- Selected a human-specific primer pair (HSP) as an endogenous control for relative quantification.
- Employed real-time PCR for relative quantification (ΔCt method) of Lactobacillus levels.
Main Results:
- Vaginal secretions showed significantly lower ΔCt values compared to saliva, semen, and skin samples (11/12 samples).
- The method successfully discriminated between vaginal secretions and other body fluids.
- Identified one sample lacking Lactobacillus as having a different microflora composition.
- Results were consistent for samples stored up to 6 months at room temperature with ≥10pg DNA input.
Conclusions:
- The simple ΔCt method using real-time PCR is a valuable tool for detecting vaginal secretions.
- This technique provides a reliable method for forensic identification in criminal investigations.
- The method demonstrates robustness and stability for forensic sample analysis.
