Introduction: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction is a fundamental step in any forensic analysis procedure. Selecting an extraction method to yield DNA is suitable in quality and quantity is, also, crucial. Aim: The objective of this study is to evaluate the adequateness of two DNA extraction methods regarding the DNA quality & quantity, and the time & money costs. Materials & Methods: The first method is the organic phenol extraction method, while the second is the automated magnetic beads extraction technology. The DNA quality and quantity were assessed by the NanoDrop ND-1000 spectrophotometer. Results: Organic phenol extraction, significantly, yielded more DNA in quantity than the magnetic beads methods. However, non-significant difference was detected in the quality of the DNA yielded from the two methods as measured by NanoDrop ND-1000 spectrophotometer. Organic phenol extraction consumed far more time but much less money than the magnetic beads method. Conclusion: Accordingly, magnetic beads technology is more efficient DNA extraction method than organic phenol extraction in saving time, effort and lab safety. On the other hand, organic phenol extraction is more economic and efficient in the quantity of the DNA yielded. However, both methods yielded the same quality of the extracted DNA. Automation saves much time than manual techniques.
Identification of the exact cause and time of death are important questions that have to be answered by the forensic pathologist. Traumatic cardiac injuries is a leading cause of death. This work aimed at using cardiac troponin C (cTnC) expression to differentiate between different types of cardiac injuries at different postmortem intervals (PMI). This study was performed on 90 forensic autopsies selected in the Medicolegal Department of Ministry of Justice. The cases were divided equally into 5 groups of different causes of death i.e. non-cardiac causes of death (control group), blunt cardiac injury (BCI), civilian cardiac firearm injury, civilian stab injury and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Brown Immunohistochemical expression of TnC was observed in all groups, where the non-cardiac death, blunt injury and firearm injury groups showed less immunohistochemical staining than stab injury and SCD. The density of the cTnC immunohistochemical staining increased by the increase in the PMI. Quantitative morphometric measurement of cTnC immunohistochemical expression was measured. Significant increases in the mean surface area of cTnC immunohistochemical expression were detected in the groups of only stab injury and SCD compared to the other studied groups (p<0.001), while non-significant differences were detected between non-cardiac, BCI and civilian cardiac firearm injury groups. Besides, the mean surface area of cTnC immunohistochemical expression increased significantly by the increase in the postmortem interval. These findings suggest that the mean surface area of cTnC immunohistochemical expression can differentiate between cardiac and noncardiac deaths, and between the different types of cardiac deaths.
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