Heninger Michael, Hanzlick Randy
Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Center, 430 Pryor St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30312, USA.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2011 Mar;32(1):78-82. doi: 10.1097/paf.0b013e3181f23ded.
Medical examiners and coroners occasionally encounter unidentified human bodies, which remain unidentified for extended periods. In such cases, when traditional methods of identification have failed or cannot be used, DNA profiling may be used. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a National Missing Person DNA database (NMPDD) laboratory to which samples may be submitted on such cases and from possible relatives or environments of unidentified decedents. This article describes the experience of the Fulton County Medical Examiner (FCME) in submitting samples to the NMPDD laboratory.
A database was established at the FCME to track the submission of samples from unidentified decedents to the NMPDD laboratory for DNA testing along with the results and turnaround times. In December 2004, the FCME inventoried all cases for which samples were available and began to submit them to the NMPDD laboratory for testing. DNA testing and isolation rates, sample type, and turnaround times were tabulated in October 2006 for samples submitted between December 16, 2004 and December 16, 2005. An overall summary of data was also prepared concerning the status of all samples submitted as of April 17, 2007.
During the 1-year study period, samples from 77 unidentified decedents were submitted to the laboratory. As of October 2006 (22 months after submission of the first samples and 10 months after submission of the last samples), testing had been completed on 53% of the samples submitted, and 68% of those tested resulted in a mitochondrial DNA profile. Turnaround times ranged from 66 to 557 days, improved with time, and had a mean of 107 days for specimens submitted during the latter part of the study period. As of April 17, 2007, we had submitted samples involving 84 unidentified decedents. Seventy-five percent of the samples have now been tested. Data from the NMPDD laboratory have resulted in 4 identifications by comparison with putative relatives, 4 exclusions, and no cold hits through comparison NMPDD DNA profiles from missing persons. More extensive data are presented in the body of this article.
The NMPDD laboratory provides useful and free services to medical examiners, coroners, and law enforcement agencies that require DNA services regarding missing and unidentified persons. Turnaround times have improved. The success of the system in getting cold hits will be heavily dependent on law enforcement filing missing persons reports and submission of reference samples from putative relatives of the decedent. We recommend collecting specimens for DNA analysis early on in the postmortem investigation, submitting samples to the NMPDD laboratory or one of its participating laboratories when traditional methods for identification cannot be used or have failed, not burying bodies until a DNA profile has been obtained, and not cremating unidentified remains.
法医和验尸官偶尔会遇到身份不明的尸体，这些尸体长时间无人识别。在这种情况下，当传统的识别方法失败或无法使用时，可以使用DNA分析。美国联邦调查局有一个全国失踪人员DNA数据库（NMPDD）实验室，此类案件的样本以及身份不明死者的可能亲属或相关环境的样本可提交至该实验室。本文描述了富尔顿县法医（FCME）向NMPDD实验室提交样本的经历。
FCME建立了一个数据库，以跟踪身份不明死者样本提交至NMPDD实验室进行DNA检测的情况，以及检测结果和周转时间。2004年12月，FCME对所有有可用样本的案件进行了清查，并开始将样本提交至NMPDD实验室进行检测。2006年10月，统计了2004年12月16日至2005年12月16日期间提交的样本的DNA检测和分离率、样本类型及周转时间。还就截至2007年4月17日提交的所有样本的状态编制了一份总体数据摘要。
在为期1年的研究期内，来自77名身份不明死者的样本被提交至实验室。截至2006年10月（首次提交样本22个月后，最后一次提交样本10个月后），已对提交样本中的53%完成检测，其中68%的检测产生了线粒体DNA图谱。周转时间从66天到557天不等，随着时间推移有所改善，研究期后期提交的样本平均周转时间为107天。截至2007年4月17日，我们已提交涉及84名身份不明死者的样本。目前75%的样本已完成检测。NMPDD实验室的数据通过与推定亲属进行比对实现了4次身份识别、4次排除，通过与失踪人员的NMPDD DNA图谱比对未发现冷 hits。本文主体部分提供了更详尽的数据。
NMPDD实验室为需要有关失踪和身份不明人员DNA服务的法医、验尸官和执法机构提供了有用且免费的服务。周转时间有所改善。该系统在冷 hits方面的成功将严重依赖于执法部门提交失踪人员报告以及提交死者推定亲属的参考样本。我们建议在尸体解剖调查早期就采集用于DNA分析的样本，当传统识别方法无法使用或失败时，将样本提交至NMPDD实验室或其参与实验室之一，在获得DNA图谱之前不要埋葬尸体，也不要火化身份不明的遗体。
