Postgraduate forensic science education in Turkey.

Legal medicine in Turkey, has an educational background that goes back to 1839 and the first autopsy in modern terms was performed in 1841. In the early days, it was common practice for those involved in this work to extend their investigative knowledge into areas not directly concerned with medical matters. However forensic medical investigations cannot be entrusted in the hands of single investigators, but should rather be dealt with by cooperative groups of experts nowadays. This need was the major force for the establishment of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences by a special article of the law (section 2547) as a training and research center in 1982. The Institute being the first and only institution giving master's and doctorate degrees in Forensic Sciences, has 3 major departments: 1) Medical Sciences Department, 2) Basic Sciences Department and 3) Social Sciences Department. Graduates of various fields ranging from medical doctors specialized in any field, biologists, chemists to lawyers, district attorneys, psychologists and other related fields are composing the multidisciplinary structure of the institute. The main research fields of the Institute are: population genetics, paternity investigation, child abuse, and identification of human remains.

Polymorphism of conventional genetic markers and HLA system in Turkey.

This study is part of a general survey in which the regional variability of various genetic markers in Turkey will be analyzed with special regard to its application in forensic medicine. Blood samples from 3173 unrelated healthy individuals of both sexes and from different regions of Turkey have been sampled and were typed for the blood group polymorphisms AB0, MNSs, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, P, Lutheran and Lewis, for the red cell enzyme polymorphisms adenylate kinase (AK), glyoxalase (GLO), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), esterase D (ESD), red cell acid phosphatase (aP), and for the serum protein polymorphisms group specific component (vitamin D binding protein, GC) and transferrin (TF). In addition to this the HLA-A and HLA-B antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (HLA) were also typed in 973 individuals. The blood group polymorphisms were typed by the classical haemagglutination methods. Serum protein and red cell enzyme polymorphisms were determined by conventional cellulose acetate electrophoresis. HLA antigens were typed by the standard two stage microlymphocytotoxicity technique. Genetic equilibrium can be assumed for all polymorphic systems under study. The results indicate some regional differences in the distribution of allele frequencies.