Human skin identification using specific gene marker at different storage temperatures

Abstract

Background: Late cornified envelope 1D (LCE1D), skin-specific mRNA, is used in forensic researche on human skin cell identification. Before using (LCE1D) in criminal casework, the impact of storage conditions on its expression should be measured and assessed. To detect the effects of storage temperature and duration, skin swabs were collected from six volunteers and stored at room temperature (25 °C) and warmer temperature (40 °C) for 5 days. Results: The (LCE1D) expressions, detected via Real Time PCR, were significantly diminished by increased storage duration. While there were also decreased (LCE1D) expressions among warmer temperature samples, this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our results suggest that forensic investigators should consider sample collection time prior to result interpretation.