Consistency and reproducibility of AmpliType PM results between seven laboratories: field trial results

The AmpliType PM Field Trial was designed to assess the ability of forensic laboratories to obtain the correct results from samples commonly encountered in forensic casework. The seven forensic laboratory participants of the AmpliType PM Field Trial each performed four studies. Samples were analyzed using components of the AmpliType PM PCR Amplification and Typing Kit. Laboratories were also provided with DNA probe strips to type the DQA1 locus. Of the 381 PM and 325 DQA1 DNA probe strip results obtained from DNA-containing and non-DNA-containing samples, 98.2% and 95.7% showed the correct result for PM and DQA1 types, respectively. No samples were typed incorrectly. The remaining small percentage of samples were either uninterpretable due to the presence of a mixture, or no result was obtained due to insufficient DNA. The Field Trial demonstrated that laboratories can easily implement the AmpliType PM system to analyze DNA-containing samples and controls successfully for forensic casework applications.