Lesions of the alar ligaments. In vivo and in vitro studies with magnetic resonance imaging.

STUDY DESIGN: This study analyzed anatomic characteristics of the alar ligaments and the possibility of imaging them with magnetic resonance imaging. Also determined was whether artificial ruptures of the alar ligament can be recognized experimentally. OBJECTIVE: To determine the ability of magnetic resonance imaging to visualize normal, torn, resected alar ligaments. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There are no studies about computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging findings of alar ligaments and after anatomic sections. Direct visualization of the complete ligament is not possible for computed tomography. No precise diagnostic method for showing a ruptured alar ligaments has been described. Magnetic resonance imaging seems to be the method of choice for distinguishing between normal and pathologic soft tissue. METHODS: Fifteen specimens from accident victims underwent anatomic dissection. In addition, ligaments from three groups were examined: 1) eight volunteers, 2) seven patients, and 3) 17 fresh cadaveric specimen before anatomic exploratory dissection. In seven of these specimens, one ligament was cut to simulate an artificial disruption and magnetic resonance imaging was repeated. RESULTS: Lesions of the alar ligaments were found in four of 15 prepared specimens. Using magnetic resonance imaging, the alar ligaments could be identified in all volunteers, patients, and specimen except one. No ruptures were found in the 17 specimens. Of the seven resected specimens, all cuts could be demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance imaging is useful for showing lesions of the alar ligaments because of a high soft tissue contrast, plane independence imaging, possibility of functional scans, and secondary reconstruction from three-dimensional data sets.

Postmortem injuries inflicted by domestic golden hamster: morphological aspects and evidence by DNA typing.

A case of postmortem animal scavenging by a domestic golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is presented. A 43-year-old woman, who was not under medical treatment, was found dead in her flat with the lower part of her body naked and her legs straddled. Her face showed extensive lesions of the soft tissues which the medical examiner interpreted as vital scalping injuries. The total findings at the scene suggested at first a sexual offence. On autopsy the face injuries were identified as postmortem defects by animal scavenging with the teeth marks typical of rodents. In fact, the deceased had kept in her flat a free-range golden hamster whose burrow contained numerous fingernail-sized pieces of skin, fatty and muscular tissue. By means of DNA typing it was proved that these pieces of tissue belonged to the deceased.

Review of active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ACD-CPR). Analysis of iatrogenic complications and their biomechanical explanation.

Our review takes a critical look at the active compression-decompression technique (ACD) for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). ACD-CPR was developed following a report of successful resuscitation performed by a medical amateur using a household plunger. The efficacy of the principle of active decompression has been demonstrated by animal and human studies. Potential iatrogenic complications from the CardioPump were evaluated only when large clinical trials were already underway. Our prospective analysis of autopsy patients and systematic randomised studies in corpses prove that ACD-CPR using the CardioPump considerably increases the rate of iatrogenic complications and especially of sternum fractures. The experimental use of the CardioPump in corpses and the analysis of a variety of different parameters, especially of the rubber cushion pads mounted in the silicone cup to prevent skin abrasions, revealed a statistically significant correlation between sternum fractures and female sex (P < 0.01) and usage of the rubber cushion pad (P = 0.045). Biomechanical studies showed that the transmission of forces from the CardioPump is greatly dependent on chest shape. The lower the sternum is sunken compared with the surrounding structures, the higher the force which is transmitted via the central area of the device onto the sternum. The rubber cushion pad shortens the distance between CardioPump and sternum by 5 mm and therefore increases the sternal loading. Sex differences in the shape of the sternum and especially the thickness may account for the significant correlation between sternum fractures and female sex.

Results of collaborative study regarding the standardization of the Y-linked STR system DYS385 by the European DNA Profiling (EDNAP) group.

Y-chromosome linked short tandem repeat (STR) loci are inherited as a closely linked haplotype, which appears to remain stable in a given paternal lineage over many generations. In forensic cases, Y-linked STRs are particularly useful for the identification of human remains as well as in rape cases with mixed male/female stain samples. DYS385 is derived from tandemly duplicated segments of the Y chromosome thus giving rise to two fragments of variable length which do not behave like alleles but genotypes. The European DNA Profiling (EDNAP) group has carried out a collaborative exercise among 14 participating laboratories using DYS385 for typing of five unknown bloodstains and a control sample. Furthermore, population data from eight different European countries with samples sizes between 91 and 150 male individuals were collected. The results confirm previous observations that DYS385 is one of the most informative Y-linked STR loci. It could also be demonstrated that reproducible results can be obtained independently from the electrophoretic separation and detection methods used. Thus DYS385 may serve as a useful complementation to the routinely used autosomal STR systems in special cases.

Report of the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP)--an investigation of the hypervariable STR loci ACTBP2, APOAI1 and D11S554 and the compound loci D12S391 and D1S1656.

This paper describes the results of three collaborative exercises which continues the EDNAP theme to explore whether uniformity of DNA profiling results could be achieved between European laboratories using STRs. In an earlier exercise, complex hypervariable AAAG-repeat STR loci were investigated, but reproducibility was found to be poor because of the variation of techniques used by participating laboratories. In the exercise reported here, an internal allelic ladder composed of ACTBP2 and D11S554 fragments was distributed. This ladder was used to size ACTBP2 analysed by a "singleplex" PCR amplification and D11S554 combined with APOAI1 in a separate "duplex" reaction. Laboratories were asked to test 7 blood stains, one of which was a known control, and to report the results to the co-ordinating laboratory. The exercise demonstrated that ACTBP2 showed good reproducibility between laboratories, whereas further testing would be needed to validate APOAI1 and D11S554 for interlaboratory comparisons. In separate exercises, the simple loci D12S391 and D1S1656 were tested; both of these showed excellent reproducibility between laboratories.

Report of the European DNA profiling group (EDNAP): an investigation of the complex STR loci D21S11 and HUMFIBRA (FGA).

This paper describes a collaborative exercise which was intended to demonstrate whether uniformity of DNA profiling results could be achieved between European laboratories using two complex short tandem repeat (STR) loci. The loci D21S11 and HUMFIBRA (FGA) were chosen because they are commonly used by different European laboratories. D21S11 has approximately 14 common alleles (f > 0.001), whereas HUMFIBRA has 19 common alleles. Laboratories were asked to test seven blood stains, one of which was a known control, and to report the results to the coordinating laboratory. The exercise demonstrated that complex STRs were amenable to standardisation.

Results of a collaborative study of the EDNAP group regarding the reproducibility and robustness of the Y-chromosome STRs DYS19, DYS389 I and II, DYS390 and DYS393 in a PCR pentaplex format.

A collaborative exercise was carried out by the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP) in the frame work of the STADNAP program, i.e. standardization of DNA profiling in Europe, in order to evaluate the performance of a Y-chromosome STR pentaplex, which includes the loci DYS19, DYS389 I and II, DYS390 and DYS393 and to determine whether uniformity of results could be achieved among different European laboratories. Laboratories were asked to analyze the five Y-STRs using singleplex and multiplex conditions in three bloodstains and one mixed stain (95% female and 5% male). All the laboratories reported the same results even for the mixed stain included in the exercise. This demonstrates the reproducibility and robustness of Y-chromosome STR typing even with multiplex formats and proves the usefulness of Y-STR systems for analyzing mixed stains with a male component.A total of 930 male samples from 10 different populations from Europe were also analysed for all the loci included in the pentaplex. Eight of these ten populations also included haplotype data. As for single gene analysis, haplotype diversity was higher in Germany and Italy and lower in Western European countries and Finland. Pairwise haplotype analysis shows the Finnish departure from the rest of the populations and a relatively homogeneity in the other European populations with F(ST) estimates lower than 0.05.UPGMA analysis shows an association of Western European population (Ireland, UK, Portugal and Galicia) on the one hand and central European populations on the other.

[Population study in West Austria using DNA single locus probes]. / Populationsstudie in West-Osterreich unter Verwendung von DNA-Single-Locus-Sonden.

Allele frequency distribution of the single-locus system YNH 24 (n = 302), G3 (n = 251), MS 43A (n = 333), and MS 31 (n = 333) was determined in Western Austria. After digestion with Hinf I, electrophoresis and Southern blotting, the genomic DNA was hybridised with the probes YNH 24, G3, MS 43A, and MS 31. Blood samples were taken from 333 unrelated caucasians living in the area of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria. The fragment distribution was calculated for each of the 4 single-locus systems. A single fragment pattern, indicating homozygosity, was shown in 9.93% with YNH 24, 12.45% with G3, 9.61% with MS 43A, and 7.21% with MS 31; the corresponding heterozygosity rates were 90.07%, 87.55%, 90.39%, and 92.79%, respectively. Our data are compared with those from England [18], Germany [3], Greenland [7], and Denmark [14]. Discrimination indices (Table 2) were calculated and statistical parameters (Table 3) presented.

[Trial elution of semen stains and measurement of IgG level: a contribution to Gm typing]. / Elutionsversuche an Spermaflecken und Messung der IgG-Konzentration: Ein Beitrag zur Gm-Bestimmung.

The conditions for the elution of IgG in seminal stains have been investigated systematically. The amount of IgG recovered could neither or hardly be influenced by variation of the time (15 minutes to 120 hours) and temperature (4 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 37 degrees C, 56 degrees C) of elution, nor by mechanical treatment (cutting in small pieces, crushing), ultrasonic treatment or addition of a detergent. For fresh traces and such of an age of several weeks an elution time of 30 minutes at room temperature is sufficient; for very old stains an elution up to 2 hours may be recommended for safety. The investigations were restricted to the measurement of the IgG concentration in the eluates. No statement can yet be given about the biological value of the IgG for Gm typing due to this investigation alone.

[Comparative studies of the practical use of different sperm samples]. / Vergleichende Untersuchungen zur praktischen Anwendbarkeit verschiedener Spermavorproben.

Comparative Investigation of Six Different Searching Techniques for Seminal Stains The comparison of six searching methods showed, that the phosphatase test has the highest, the choline test a sufficient and the other tests a poor sensitivity. Stains of seven body secretions and excretions, 13 fruit and 17 vegetables have been investigated by damp filter paper method. The spermine-, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase-, and the zinc test had an insufficient specificity. The phosphatase test had false positive results with kiwi fruit, cauliflower, pea, and potato; the choline test with cauliflower, pea, broccoli, leek, and tomato; the leucineaminopeptidase test with feces and strawberry.

[ABO determination in blood stains on stain carriers pretreated with usual household products]. / ABO-Bestimmung an Blutspuren auf Spurenträgern, die mit haushaltsüblichen Mitteln vorbehandelt wurden.

Linen has been treated with 20 different remedies for clothes (impregnating agents, fabric softeners, detergents, finishes, and stainremovers; see tab. 2) in "normal" and "high" concentration. After short, intentionally incomplete washing and after successive drying 5 microliters and 10 microliters blood each of the six major ABH types have been applied. Stains have been ABH typed by the absorption-inhibition test according to Holzer, the absorption-elution test using stain extracts according to Chisum, and another absorptions-elution test performed in tubes. Only 3 of the 20 remedies had no effect on the results (tab.3). The AI-test showed no false results, but partly reduced absorption and haemolysis of the added red blood cells. Both AE-tests gave false-positive and false-negative results. Compared with the tube test the method described by Chisum was more reliable. The rate of false results depended on the concentration of the remedies used for the treatment of the linen. The majority of the incorrect results (but not all!) could have been recognized by processing controls analogously (see tab. 4 and 5; legend in English under tab. 5).

DNA Commission of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG): recommendations regarding the role of forensic genetics for disaster victim identification (DVI).

The ISFG membership consists of scientists and medical professionals specialized in using genetic testing for kinship analysis and the individualization of biological material. This expertise makes the forensic geneticist a resource of advice to international and national organizations dealing with human identifications and causes many DNA laboratories to get involved in DVI tasks. The present recommendations are meant to educate more forensic geneticists about their potential involvement in mass fatality preparedness and possible DVI efforts, as well as to provide practical guidance for each of the laboratories' individual tasks. The idea to work on DNA-specific recommendations was born after a round table discussion dealing with the 2004 Tsunami disaster in south east Asia during the 21st congress of the International Society for Forensic Genetics on the Azores, Portugal, in September 2005. The ensuing discussion between scientists and pathologists that had been involved in the International Center in Khao Lak, Thailand, revealed the need for the scientific community to be better prepared to answer the local authorities' questions by formulating generally acceptable scientific standards for the most efficient use of DNA-based victim identification methods. These recommendations, as well as the many cited references, are intended to provide guidance on establishing preparedness for the forensic genetics laboratory, on collecting and storing ante-mortem and post-mortem samples suitable for DNA analysis, on DNA extraction and genetic typing strategies, on data management, and on issues related to the biostatistical interpretation and reporting of results.

[ABO blood group expression in female genital organs. An immunohistochemical study]. / AB0-Blutgruppenprägung an weiblichen Genitalorganen. Eine immunhistochemische Studie.

The accumulation of false-negative results in the immunocytochemical investigation of vaginal swabs of nonsecretors was our reason for checking ABH blood-group labeling in female genitalia in situ (11 sections each from 51 different autopsies). The epithelia and endothelia showed positive staining in the blood group concerned. The epithelia of the secretors were strongly marked in the fallopian tube, vagina, urinary bladder, and urethra, whereas in the other sections the staining was irregular. The superficial layers of the vaginal epithelium of nonsecretors were not marked, which explains the poor results in the immunocytochemical investigation of vaginal swabs. Blood group A subtyping seems possible because after anti-H incubation, nearly complete labeling of the endothelia of the A2 cases took place; this is not the case for AB cases.

Immunocytochemical typing of ABO blood groups in vaginal swabs partly contaminated with semen.

ABH typing by immunocytochemical method has been carried out on 163 selected vaginal swabs. 127 cases (78%) were determined correctly, 11 cases (7%) incorrectly and 25 cases (15%) could not be classified. Often, not all of the vaginal cells showed the expected positive staining, which was not counted as a false result. The incorrect results were not dependent on the secretor status, but 37% of the non-secretor cases could not be classified immunocytochemically, as compared with 12% of the secretors. In a second series, 61 vaginal swabs, dried on microscope slides, have been covered with semen from an A1 B secretor. Absorption of heterologous antigens by the vaginal epithelia could be demonstrated only after extremely long incubation with semen and extremely long incubation with the anti-A or anti-B antibodies. From the 163 "native" swabs, 17 gave a positive reaction with the acid phosphatase test, but only one false ABH result. A possible influence of bacteria upon the results is discussed. We believe that in practice, no faults in immunocytochemical ABH typing have to be expected, due to absorption of heterologous antigens.

[Immunohistochemical study of the pattern of distribution of ABO blood group substances in male genitalia]. / Immunhistochemische Studie zum Verteilungsmuster der ABO-Blutgruppensubstanzen an männlichen Genitalorganen.

The distribution of the ABH antigens was investigated in 11 different sections of the male genitalia in 53 autopsy cases; the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique was used. Specific staining of the epithelia differed considerably among and between individuals. Nonsecretors showed a tendency toward less staining in the epithelia, whereas in the endothelia there was no difference. A2 cases could be recognized, as the endothelia were marked almost completely with anti-H. In A2B nonsecretor epithelia and endothelia, there was only a minimal reaction with anti-A and anti-H. Spermatozoa were irregularly stained in the ampulla of the vas deferens, whereas in the testis and epididymis no reaction could be found.

[ABH antigens on spermatozoa membrane--absorption or local synthesis?]. / ABH-Antigene auf der Spermatozoenmembran--Absorption oder lokale Synthese?

ABH antigens can be demonstrated on the membrane of spermatozoa from semen, but not on spermatozoa from the epididymis. It is discussed in the literature, if the antigens are absorbed from the antigen rich seminal fluid, or if they are synthesized on the membrane, according to a haploid gene expression. In order to answer this question, cleaned spermatozoa from semen and spermatozoa from tissue samples of epididymidis, ductus epididymidis and the prostate region were investigated using the immunoenzyme technique. It was found that spermatozoa were ABH marked only after contact with the secretions of the accessory glands. Results indicate, that the ABH antigens on the spermatozoa derive from the seminal fluid.

[Expression of ABH and Lewis antigens in endometrium--relation to hormonal stimulation]. / Expression der ABH- und Lewis-Antigene im Endometrium--Abhängigkeit von hormoneller Stimulation.

From 138 gynaecological abrasiones appropriate histological preparations were chosen. Case history and pathological diagnosis were known. ABH and Lewis antigens were marked immunohistologically. According to our findings, in the endometrial glands the ABH antigen expression is highest in the proliferation phase and decreases within the secretion phase. The same hormonal dependency could be demonstrated for the Lea antigens present in the superficial epithelium of the endometrium. Exogen application of estrogens enhances ABH antigen marking, application of gestagens does not.

[RFLP analysis of single hairs]. / RFLP-Analyse von Einzelhaaren.

Investigations were performed with the root of one hair torn out 6 times in parallel. Yield of DNA was about the same with 6 extraction methods tested. Hairs stored at RT up to 8 weeks in non sterile environment showed the same result as deeply frozen hairs. Hairs of one test person could not be typed in repeated investigations, whereas hairs of another person could successfully be typed in every case (n > 100). 35 hairs of 66 samples investigated from 11 other persons could be typed.