ASSAY PERFORMANCE RESULTS WITH THE AMPLITYPE(R) PM PCR AMPLIFICATION AND TYPING KIT

The authors previously reported results of a cooperative study of vali dation studies from forensic laboratories in the United States and Can ada on the use of the AmpliType(R) PM PCR Amplification and Typing Kit for genetic typing of forensic biological evidence (Word et al., in p ress). The principal conclusion from that study was that the AmpliType (R) Polymarker (PM) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Amplification and Typing Kit met the guidelines of the Technical Working Group on DNA An alysis Methods (TWGDAM), and there was general scientific acceptabilit y of this kit for forensic DNA testing. Briefly, that report compiled data of genetic typing results from 26 laboratories on the following: (1) reproducibility; (2) DNA extracted from a variety of biological sa mples on various substrates; (3) the effects of exogenous chemicals, m aterials, and environmental factors on test results; (4) sensitivity s tudies to determine the least detectable amount of extracted genomic D NA that could be reliably typed; (5) analysis of mixtures containing t wo sources of genomic DNA; and (6) crosshybridization with DNA extract ed from various nonhuman species. Also included in that report was a s ummary of the results of evaluation of assay performance of parallel s tudies with other genetic typing systems on proficiency test panels, m ock cases, and adjudicated/nonprobative casework This report presents the data from 21 laboratories upon which that summary was based. Overa ll, equivalent results were obtained by each laboratory that supplied data, thus demonstrating the reliability and consistency of the test.