title: Benefit of STR-based chimerism analysis to identify TA-GVHD as a cause of death: Utility of various biological specimens.
abstract: Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) is a rare condition. It can occur after blood transfusion in immune-compromised and occasionally even in immune-competent patients, and is associated with a mortality rate of >90%. The diagnosis of TA-GVHD is often delayed because of its non-specific clinical features. A case of an immune-competent child who developed TA-GVHD is reported here. DNA profiling (short tandem repeat analysis), a technique that has a wide application in forensic medicine, was performed to detect the presence of donor cells in this patient. The findings suggest that more studies are needed with this tool, and the diagnostic potential of using other multiple biological specimens for DNA profiling such as the hair follicle and buccal swab should be evaluated. This is the first case report where the donor's DNA fingerprinting pattern was substantiated from a patient's hair follicle sample. Chimerism was also present in the blood and buccal swab specimens.
authors: Departments of Forensic Medicine.
authors: Anupuma
authors: A
authors: Raina
authors: Departments of Forensic Medicine.
authors: Garima
authors: G
authors: Chaudhary
authors: SGT Group of Institutions, India.
authors: Tirath Das
authors: TD
authors: Dogra
authors: Pediatrics.
authors: Deepchand
authors: D
authors: Khandelwal
authors: Departments of Forensic Medicine.
authors: Ajay
authors: A
authors: Balayan
authors: Pediatrics.
authors: Vandana
authors: V
authors: Jain
authors: Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics.
authors: Uma
authors: U
authors: Kanga
authors: Hematology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India tuliseth@yahoo.com umakanga@hotmail.com.
authors: Tulika
authors: T
authors: Seth
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D046528:Chimerism; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014019:Tissue Donors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
keywords: forensic DNA; forensic medicine; human identification