Genetic Characterization and Statistical Interpretation of 16 STR Markers in South-West Bulgaria: Implications for...

Background/Objectives: The widespread adoption of short tandem repeat (STR) marker technology in genetic analysis has led to the collection of substantial STR data from diverse populations. Allele-frequency data provide robust forensic utility and support accurate likelihood ratio calculations, highlighting the importance of regional databases. Methods: The presented study aimed to determine the allelic frequencies and statistical parameters for 16 autosomal genetic STR markers included in the NGM Detect^TM PCR Amplification Kit in a population sample of 220 unrelated individuals from the South-West region of the Republic of Bulgaria. Results: We found that the most polymorphic and informative marker for the Bulgarian population in the southwestern region is SE33, with the next most informative markers being D1S1656, D12S391, D18S51, and FGA. In contrast, D22S1045, D16S539, and D2S441 showed comparatively lower genetic variability and informativeness. At the same time, no deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed for the 16 loci studied. Conclusions: This work not only enriches knowledge of the genetic diversity of the Bulgarian population but also provides the Bulgarian and international justice systems with an objective, scientifically sound basis for expert decision-making.