title: Sperm Hy-Liter™: an effective tool for the detection of spermatozoa in sexual assault exhibits.
abstract: A fluorescence-based assay specifically targeting human spermatozoa was tested and optimized for best staining results using a variety of mock sexual assault samples. Swab clippings versus whole swabs were evaluated for best sample preparation and to simplify workflow (direct application versus swab extraction). The practicality and sensitivity of Sperm Hy-Liter™ was compared to our current phase contrast microscopy protocol for searching for the presence of spermatozoa. Sperm Hy-Liter™ was more sensitive than phase contrast microscopy and was able to detect spermatozoa more effectively in actual sexual assault samples (recent [N=240] or 24 years old [N=4]) containing few spermatozoa. Correlations were drawn between the Sperm Hy-Liter™ spermatozoa counts and the AmpFlSTR(®) Profiler(®) Plus male profiles generated from the sperm cell DNA fractions of semen containing swabs and swab clippings. In addition, recovered spermatozoa from Sperm Hy-Liter™-stained slides with greater than 40 spermatozoa produced full STR male profiles in 20.3% of slides tested and partial STR male profiles in 52.8% of slides tested. The adoption of Sperm Hy-Liter™ offers a means to standardize and improve the efficiency of the microscopic screening of sexual assault evidence.
authors.affiliation: Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Forensic Science and Identification Services, National Services and Research, 1200 Vanier Parkway, Ottawa, ON, K1G 3M8 Canada.
authors.forename: Anick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Moors
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Georgalis
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Modler
authors.forename: Chantal J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Frégeau
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012742:Sex Offenses; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013094:Spermatozoa