Report of the Blind Trial of the Cetus AmpliType HLA DQa Forensic Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Amplification and Typing Kit
Walsh, PS
Research assistant, research assistant, project manager-forensics, and scientist, respectively, Cetus Corp., Emeryville, CA.

Fildes, N
Research assistant, research assistant, project manager-forensics, and scientist, respectively, Cetus Corp., Emeryville, CA.

Louie, AS
Research assistant, research assistant, project manager-forensics, and scientist, respectively, Cetus Corp., Emeryville, CA.

Higuchi, R
Research assistant, research assistant, project manager-forensics, and scientist, respectively, Cetus Corp., Emeryville, CA.


Abstract
The AmpliType™ HLA DQa forensic DNA amplification and typing kit is designed for the qualitative analysis of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQa alleles present in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from forensic samples. The AmpliType kit is the first forensic DNA typing product based on the GeneAmp™ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process [1–3]. The kit was evaluated by five forensic science laboratories (test sites) to assess their ability to perform DNA typing using PCR on sample types typically encountered by forensic laboratories. None of the DNA-containing samples was mistyped. Of the 180 DNA-containing samples analyzed, results were reported for 178 (98.9%). Of the 178 samples with results, all were correctly typed. Two sites did not report a result for one sample each. Four of the five laboratories experienced no significant levels of contamination in the DNA-containing samples. At the one site with the highest number of DNA-containing samples with contamination, the typing results were not compromised. This site was able to correct the contamination problem through simple procedural changes and stricter attention to sterile technique. Blank controls were important to monitor contamination. In conclusion, the trial demonstrated that forensic science laboratories are capable of setting up a PCR-based DNA typing laboratory and successfully using the AmpliType HLA DQa forensic DNA amplification and typing kit to analyze forensic samples.

Keywords:
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), forensic science, genetic typing

Paper ID: JFS365911551

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Author Walsh PS, Fildes N, Louie AS, Higuchi R Title Report of the Blind Trial of the Cetus AmpliType HLA DQa Forensic Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Amplification and Typing Kit Symposium , Committee on