Investigator^® HDplex (Qiagen) reference population database for forensic use in Argentina.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Genetics
• Population Genetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) markers are the standard for forensic human identification.
• Current commercial kits amplify up to 23 STR loci, but complex cases may require additional markers.
• The Investigator® HDplex kit provides twelve supplementary autosomal STR markers, nine of which are novel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Investigator® HDplex kit for forensic applications in Argentina.
• To establish reference allelic frequency databases for Argentinean populations.
• To assess the kit's suitability for casework and parentage testing.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of 980 individuals from ten Argentinean provinces using the Investigator® HDplex kit.
• Analysis of allelic frequencies and population comparisons.
• Assessment of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, discrimination capacity, and power of exclusion.

Main Results:

• Reference allelic frequency databases were generated for each province and combined samples.
• No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed.
• The kit demonstrated reasonable discrimination capacity and power of exclusion, indicating acceptable forensic behavior.

Conclusions:

• The Investigator® HDplex kit is a valuable tool for human identification in Argentina.
• It can be used as a primary STR panel for simple cases or as an auxiliary tool for complex analyses.
• Argentinean populations studied are relatively homogeneous for the analyzed STR loci.