title: A collaborative exercise on DNA methylation based body fluid typing.
abstract: A collaborative exercise on DNA methylation based body fluid identification was conducted by seven laboratories. For this project, a multiplex methylation SNaPshot reaction composed of seven CpG markers was used for the identification of four body fluids, including blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal fluid. A total of 30 specimens were prepared and distributed to participating laboratories after thorough testing. The required experiments included four increasingly complex tasks: (1) CE of a purified single-base extension reaction product, (2) multiplex PCR and multiplex single-base extension reaction of bisulfite-modified DNA, (3) bisulfite conversion of genomic DNA, and (4) extraction of genomic DNA from body fluid samples. In tasks 2, 3 and 4, one or more mixtures were analyzed, and specimens containing both known and unknown body fluid sources were used. Six of the laboratories generated consistent body fluid typing results for specimens of bisulfite-converted DNA and genomic DNA. One laboratory failed to set up appropriate conditions for capillary analysis of reference single-base extension products. In general, variation in the values obtained for DNA methylation analysis between laboratories increased with the complexity of the required experiments. However, all laboratories concurred on the interpretation of the DNA methylation profiles produced. Although the establishment of interpretational guidelines on DNA methylation based body fluid identification has yet to be performed, this study supports the addition of DNA methylation profiling to forensic body fluid typing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sohee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Forensic and Analytical Research Centre, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.|School of Biomedical and Forensic Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge Campus, East Road, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Mari L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Uchimoto
authors.affiliation: Division of DNA Analysis, Department of Forensic Medicine, Scientific Investigation Laboratory, Criminal Investigation Command, Ministry of National Defense, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Na
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Giacomo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Gangwon-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Forensic and Analytical Research Centre, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.
authors.forename: Dieudonne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.affiliation: Forensic and Analytical Research Centre, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McCord
authors.affiliation: Division of DNA Analysis, Department of Forensic Medicine, Scientific Investigation Laboratory, Criminal Investigation Command, Ministry of National Defense, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Gangwon-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Forensic DNA Division, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Gangwon-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yang Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soong Deok
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. hylee192@yuhs.ac, hylee192@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hwan Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D053803:Forensic Genetics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Body fluid identification; Collaborative exercise; DNA methylation; Forensic science; Methylation SNaPshot