A comparison study of hair examination methodologies

J Forensic Sci. 2004 Nov;49(6):1253-5.

Abstract

A study was conducted to investigate the accuracy between two methods of hair analysis: PCR-STR DNA analysis and microscopic comparison analysis. Standard sets of pubic hairs were collected from volunteers, and unknown sets were generated from these samples. Three out of five (60%) of the hairs analyzed produced full DNA profiles that were correctly matched to the standard sets. DNA analysis was inconclusive (partial or no DNA profile) for two out of five (40%) of the samples. In contrast, the microscopic comparison analysis correctly matched four out of five (80%) of the samples to the standard sets but mis-identified one out of five (20%) of the samples. These results reinforce the practice of preliminary microscopic hair examination in narrowing down a set of hairs for DNA analysis. Microscopic comparison analysis is sufficiently reliable to remain a rapid and inexpensive method for forensic hair analysis.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • DNA / analysis*
  • Forensic Medicine / methods*
  • Hair / chemistry*
  • Hair / cytology
  • Humans
  • Microscopy
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences

Substances

  • DNA