DNA Profiling Laboratory, Biology Division, Health Sciences Authority, 11 Outram Road, Singapore 169078, Singapore.
Genes (Basel). 2024 Mar 19;15(3):373. doi: 10.3390/genes15030373.
In a mass fatality incident (MFI), effective preservation of tissue samples is the cornerstone for downstream DNA-based identification of victims. This is commonly achieved through freezing of tissue samples excised from bodies/fragmented remains which may be buried or stored in refrigerated containers. This may, however, not be possible depending on the nature of the MFI; in particular, during armed conflict/war where extended periods of electrical outages would be expected. The present study compared the effectiveness of long-term tissue preservation at ambient temperatures using two commercial products (non-iodized kitchen salt and a 40% alcoholic beverage) against a chemical preservative (Allprotect™ Tissue Reagent (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, USA)) and freezing at -20 °C. Bovine muscle tissue, used as a proxy for human tissue, was treated with the four preservation methods and sampled at six different time-points over a 24-month period. All four methods were able to preserve the bovine tissue, generally yielding STR-PCR (Short Tandem Repeat-Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplicons > 200 bp in size even at the end of 24 months. Gel electrophoresis, however, indicated that salt was more effective in preserving DNA integrity with high-molecular-weight DNA clearly visible as compared to the low-molecular-weight DNA smears observed in the other methods. This study also proposes a simple process for the rapid and low-cost preservation of tissue samples for long-term storage at ambient temperatures in support of post-incident victim identification efforts.
在大规模死亡事件（MFI）中，有效地保存组织样本是下游基于 DNA 的受害者识别的基石。这通常通过冷冻从尸体/碎尸中切除的组织样本来实现，这些组织样本可能被埋在地下或储存在冷藏容器中。然而，这可能并不可能，具体取决于 MFI 的性质；特别是在武装冲突/战争期间，预计会出现长时间的停电。本研究比较了在环境温度下使用两种商业产品（未碘化的厨房盐和 40%酒精饮料）以及在-20°C 下冷冻对长期组织保存的效果，这两种商业产品分别是商业产品（非碘化厨房盐和 40%酒精饮料）和化学防腐剂（Allprotect™ Tissue Reagent（Qiagen，Germantown，MD，USA））。使用这四种保存方法处理牛肌肉组织（用作人体组织的替代品），并在 24 个月的时间内分六个不同时间点进行采样。这四种方法都能够保存牛组织，通常在 24 个月结束时仍能产生大小>200bp 的 STR-PCR（短串联重复-聚合酶链反应）扩增子。然而，凝胶电泳表明，盐在保存 DNA 完整性方面更有效，与其他方法中观察到的低分子量 DNA 涂片相比，高分子量 DNA 清晰可见。本研究还提出了一种简单的方法，用于快速、低成本地保存组织样本，以便在环境温度下长期储存，以支持事后受害者识别工作。
