title: Application of low copy number STR typing to the identification of aged, degraded skeletal remains.
abstract: Low copy number (LCN) STR typing was successfully applied to four interesting cases during developmental validation of the approach for degraded skeletal remains. Specific questions were addressed in each case, with the acquisition of STR data largely serving as additional confirmatory or investigatory information in any specific situation, and not necessarily providing the definitive evidence to establish identity. The cases involve missing U.S. service members from World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. The variety of these cases, in terms of the questions addressed, the age of the remains, and the type of reference material available for comparison, demonstrates the broad utility of LCN STR typing in the identification of degraded skeletal remains from missing persons.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, AFIP Annex, 1413 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850, USA. jodi.irwin@afip.osd.mil
authors.forename: Jodi A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Leney
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Loreille
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barritt
authors.forename: Alexander F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Brion C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Parsons
mesh_terms: D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics; D053836:DNA Degradation, Necrotic; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences
chemical_list: D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial