M. Kleiber

Less is more – length reduction of STR amplicons using redesigned primers

Abstract PCR primers closely flanking the repeat region were redesigned to reduce the amplicon length of the selected STRs down to approximately 100 bp for the shorter alleles (loci HumTH01, D10S2325, DYS19 and DYS391). Highly degraded DNA (e.g. formalin-fixed tissue) and very low amounts of DNA could be more successfully typed using the new redesigned primers compared to the established sequences generating longer amplicons.

Deaths in German police custody

BACKGROUND According to the ministries of the interior of all German federal states, a total of 128 persons died in police custody between 1993 and 2003. METHODS An inquiry to the forensic university institutes and regional court doctors showed that, within this period, post mortems were conducted in 75 of these cases. We were able to include 60 of these 75 cases in our evaluation and deficiency analysis, which were carried out under assessment of the post mortem records and partly by making use of the subsequent medical expert reports and the results of criminal investigation. RESULTS The most frequent cause of death was acute alcoholic intoxication, followed by cerebrocranial traumata, internal diseases and fatal poisonings with medical or illegal drugs. In 23 cases, the person taken into custody had been seen by a physician in order to determine the persons fitness for detention in custody. Of these 23 cases, 15 (65.2%) revealed deficiencies in various areas of medical activity. Police officers had made mistakes in 33 of the 60 cases (55.0%), mainly because they failed to seek medical assistance or did not monitor the person with sufficient frequency. Our retrospective study however showed that in 16 cases (26.6%) death was very probably not preventable even if the person had received all necessary care. CONCLUSIONS Our study gives recommendations on how to improve various measures to increase the quality of medical attention given to persons taken into police custody.

Y-chromosomal STR haplotype analysis reveals surname-associated strata in the East-German population.

In human populations, the correct historical interpretation of a genetic structure is often hampered by an almost inherent inability to differentiate between ancient and more recent influences upon extant gene pools. One method to trace recent population movements is the analysis of surnames, which, at least in Central Europe, can be thought of as traits ‘linked’ to the Y chromosome. Illegitimacy, extramarital birth and changes of surnames may have substantially obscured this linkage. In order to assess the actual extent of correlation between surnames and Y-chromosomal haplotypes in Central Europe, we typed Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat markers in 419 German males from Halle. These individuals were subdivided into three groups according to the origin of their respective surname, namely German (G), Slavic (S) or ‘Mixed’ (M). The distribution of the haplotypes was compared by Analysis of Molecular Variance. While the M group was indistinguishable from group G (ΦST=−0.0008, P>0.5), a highly significant difference (ΦST=0.0277, P<0.001) was observed between the S group and the combined G+M group. This surprisingly strong differentiation is comparable to that of European populations of much larger geographic and linguistic difference. In view of the major migration from Slavic countries into Germany in the 19th century, it appears likely that the observed concurrence of Slavic surnames and Y chromosomes is of a recent rather than an early origin. Our results suggest that surnames may provide a simple means to stratify, and thereby to render more efficient, Y-chromosomal analyses of Central Europeans that target more ancient events.

D18S535, D1S1656 and D10S2325: three efficient short tandem repeats for forensic genetics

Three short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms characterized by PCR product length < 175 bp were investigated. D18S535 and D1S1656 contained a 4 bp unit as basic repeat motif, D10S2325 a 5 bp unit. The heterozygosity rates were 0.76 (D18S535), 0.88 (D10S2325) and 0.90 (D1S1656), leading to a combined discrimination power of 0.9999. In contrast to D10S2325 and D18S535, which showed a homogeneous repeat array without any variation in the repeat motifs, repeat length and sequence variation was found for D1S1656. Robust typing results could be observed for all three STRs using highly degraded DNA.

Tetranucleotide STR system D8S1132: sequencing data and population genetic comparisons

In the present investigation of the D8S1132 locus 31 selected alleles were sequenced. In total there were 9 distinguishable alleles found to increase in size by regular 4 bp increments from 134 to 170 bp with a repeat array following the pattern (TCTA)n TCA (TCTA)n. One-third of the sequenced alleles exhibited an altered repeat sequence TCTG TCTA at the 3′ flanking region of the repeat array. A nomenclature for the designation of D8S1132 alleles is proposed on the basis of this sequence data and in accordance with the ISFH recommendations. The allele distribution of the D8S1132 locus has been investigated in three German populations (Halle-, Münster-, and Wiesbaden area) with frequencies ranging from 0.004 to 0.24. No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium could be observed. The heterozygosity was 0.83 and the discrimination power 0.96 for the Halle population.

Assessment of shooting distance on the basis of bloodstain analysis and histological examinations.

A 28-year-old man was shot using a pump-gun. The main question to be resolved was whether the biological stain pattern on the suspects trousers, and in particular the bloodstains, can provide evidence to assess the shooting distance between the suspect and the position of the victims body. The biological stain pattern (i.e. bloodstains and brain tissue) showed backspatters from the shot entrance wound on the back of the head, while the victim was lying face down and the suspect was standing close behind his head.

German shepherd dog is suspected of sexually abusing a child

Abstract A rare case of provoked anal penetration of an 11-year-old boy by a male German shepherd dog was confirmed by the results of morphological, serological and molecular genetic investigations. These results were of great importance to refute the suspicion on two adults. Some serious doubts remained in the version of the course of the event as presented by the boy. Some weeks later when confronted by a psychologist, the boy admitted having deliberately stimulated the dog manually and caused the animal to penetrate him.

An avoidable death in police custody

An obviously inebriated 36-year-old man was found in a helpless condition on a pavement. When he was brought to a police station, a doctor certified the individual to be fit to be held in custody. He was unresponsive when the officers tried to wake him the next morning but was allowed to sleep on until he was found dead in his cell at mid day. An autopsy revealed as cause of death an epidural hematoma and cerebral contusion with fracture of the calvarium. The expert report stressed the point that the monitoring of the state of consciousness had been objectively insufficient throughout the entire time period, both in terms of frequency as well as in terms of the monitoring methods. However, neither the police officers involved nor the doctor, was subjected to prosecution mainly because of the high burden of proof required by German criminal law. The article will discuss conclusions for the avoidance of such deaths (such as training of police officers, legal regulations on monitoring procedures, etc).

Unusual explanation for the death of a car passenger

Abstract After collision of a car with the left rearside against a steel mast the 19-year-old front seat passenger was found comatose on the seat. CT imaging showed a depression fracture parietal on the left with an intracerebral haemorrhage on the opposite side. The cause of the injury was unknown to the surgeons at the time of operation. Despite neurosurgical intervention the patient died 24 h after the accident. The post-mortem showed an additional depression fracture at the base of the skull in the right temporal region arousing suspicion of an impalement injury. Only inspection of the car by the forensic pathologists revealed the gas pressure telescopic shock absorber to be the cause of the head injury.

Postmortale Lipoproteinbestimmung bei juveniler Koronararteriensklerose

Abstract A 22-year-old soccer player was fouled and suffered from a bruised thorax. Shortly after the game he suddenly felt sick and about 2 h later he died. Apart from signs of minor injuries caused by blunt force, the autopsy revealed severe sclerosis and thrombosis of the ramus interventricularis of the arteria coronaria sinistra. The postmortal lipoprotein analysis showed a triglyceride level (6.1 mmol/l) almost three times higher than normal. In four other cases of substantial juvenile arteriosclerosis the triglyceride values were clearly elevated partly combined with lower HDL cholesterol or a raised total cholesterol fraction. In ten similar cases without coronary arteriosclerosis the triglyceride values were also higher postmortem. But in none of the cases was the level more than twice the normal level (4.6 mmol/l). After a postmortem interval of only a few days the morphological state of a substantial juvenile coronary arteriosclerosis combined with a clear change in the serum lipid fractions indicate a pathological dyslipoproteinaemia during the person’s lifetime. This combination of factors justifies not only the diagnosis, but should also be a reason for informing the relatives of the patient about a possible predisposition within the family.Zusammenfassung Ein 22-jähriger Fußballspieler wurde gefoult und erlitt eine Thoraxprellung. Kurz nach dem Spielende wurde ihm plötzlich übel. Etwa 2 h später verstarb er. Die Obduktion erbrachte neben geringgradigen Zeichen stumpfer Gewalteinwirkung eine schwere Sklerose und Thrombose des Ramus interventricularis der A. coronaria sinistra. Die postmortale Lipoproteinbestimmung ergab einen nahezu dreifach erhöhten Triglyceridwert (6,1 mmol/l). Prospektiv wurden 4 weitere Fälle mit erheblicher juveniler Koronararteriensklerose überprüft. In allen Fällen fand sich eine deutliche Erhöhung des Triglyceridwertes, zum Teil kombiniert mit erniedrigter HDL-Cholesterin- bzw. erhöhter Gesamtcholesterolfraktion. In 10 Vergleichsfällen ohne Koronararteriensklerose waren die Triglyceridwerte postmortal zumeist auch erhöht, eine Überschreitung des doppelten vitalen Normalwertes (> 4,6 mmol/l) war jedoch in keinem Fall feststellbar. Die Kombination vom morphologischen Befund einer erheblichen juvenilen Koronararteriensklerose und deutlicher Veränderung der Serumlipidfraktionen spricht demnach bei einem postmortalen Intervall von nur wenigen Tagen für eine pathologische Dyslipoproteinämie zu Lebzeiten. Diese Schlußfolgerung berechtigt nicht nur zu entsprechenden Kausalitätsaussagen, sondern sie sollte auch Anlaß sein, die Angehörigen über die eventuell bestehende familiäre Disposition aufzuklären.