Effect of Carcinomas on Autosomal Trait Screening: A Review Article

Abstract

This review highlights the effect of carcinomas on the results of the examination of autosomal genetic traits for identification and paternity tests when carcinoid tissue is the only source and no other samples are available. In DNA typing or genetic fingerprinting, variable elements are isolated and identified within the base pair sequences that form the DNA. The person's probable identity can be determined by analysing nucleotide sequences in particular regions of DNA unique to everyone. Genetics plays an increasingly important role in the risk stratification and management of carcinoma patients. The available information from previous studies has indicated that in some incidents, including mass disasters and crimes such as terrorist incidents, biological evidence may not be available at the scene of the accident, except for some unknown human remains found in the form of undefined human tissues. If these tissues have cancerous tumours, it may affect the examination of the genetic traits derived from these samples, thereby resulting in a failure to identify the person. Pathology units, more often, verify the identity of the patients who were diagnosed with cancer in reference to their deceased tumorous relatives. Genetic fingerprinting (GF) is also used in paternity testing when the alleged parent disappeared or died and earlier was diagnosed and treated for cancer.

Keywords: DNA fingerprinting; autosomal trait screening; carcinomas; genetic fingerprinting.

Figure 1

CODIS Core (TPOX, D3S1358, FGA, D5S818, CSF1PO, D7S820, D8S1179, TH01, VWA, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11) and extra forensic STR loci on human chromosomes [25].

Figure 2

Karyotype of a patient with the loss of heterozygosity and normal karyotype according to the standard cytogenetic analysis [31]. Purple symbols refer to loss of heterozygosity.

Figure 3

Loss of heterozygosity in STR profiles (D18S51 and D3S1358) of the patient’s breast tumour compared to the STR profile of her normal tissue [34].