MASS DISASTERS - RAPID MOLECULAR SCREENING OF HUMAN REMAINS BY MEANS OF SHORT TANDEM REPEATS TYPING

Human remains identification represents a challenging situation and co nstitutes a difficult task associated with mass disasters. The only hi ghly efficient means for individual and family group reconstruction is that based on DNA typing. On July 18, 1994 an explosion destroyed the A.M.I.A. (Argentine Israeli Association.) Over 100 people died; howev er, the exact number of victims is still being investigated. Our Servi ce received over 70 remains to be characterized by DNA typing in order to determine the number of victims and to try to reconstruct the fami ly groups to which they belonged. DNA was extracted by a cetyltrimethy lammonium bromide (CTAB) based protocol, a rapid molecular screening o f all samples was carried out by multiplex STR amplifications includin g HUMTH01, HUMFABP, HUMHPRTB, HUMRENA4 HUMVWA. KUMFES/FPS and Y27H39LR . Samples with identical genotypes were HaeIII-digested. Southern blot ted and probed with YNH-24 (D2S44). PH-30 (D4S139). LH-1 (D5S110) and MS-1 (D1S7) for variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) evaluation. T he minisatellite variant repeat (MVR) approach was used in those cases in which band or profile shift were detected in Southern blot assays. Kinship between victims and putative relatives was initially evaluate d by comparison of short tandem repeat (STR) profiles and then confirm ed by VNTR with the above probes. The high identification efficiency a ttained in this case is, in part, supported by a previous experience, the DNA-based molecular characterization of human remains caused by th e explosion of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, March 1992.