EFFECT OF DIFFERENT HUMAN MUSCLE TISSUE PRESERVATIVES ON QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF DNA: MEDICO LEGAL ASPECT

Abstract

Background: Disaster victim identification (DVI) is a part of a collective response to mass disasters with the intention of identifying victims and body parts. Muscle tissue is sampled during DVI operations to identify victims by DNA analysis. Aim: To provide an effective field based method for preservation of DNA in human muscle tissues. Methods: A cross sectional comparative study was carried out on normal healthy human muscle tissues which were collected from patients admitted to Suez Canal University Hospital for surgical amputation of a part of limb. Muscle tissue was stored for 4 weeks in a number of preservatives at room temperature (15- 20°C). This process was repeated at 37°C to simulate the conditions expected during DVI operations in warm conditions. Samples were also stored at -20oC which represents the optimum storage condition used in many countries. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of DNA extracted from samples was done for each preservative during the 4 weeks. The study was conducted in the clinical pathology department in faculty of medicine-Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. Results: All preservatives could retain DNA up to the 4 weeks. Ethanol 70% (EtOH) gave the highest DNA concentration in both conditions (p value <0.001), followed by Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in room temperature and Sodium Chloride (NaCl) in 37 oC. All used preservatives did not show degradation in room temperature, while NaCl and Ethanol 70% showed degradation in DNA extracted in day 28 in 37 oC condition ( p value <0.001). Conclusion: DMSO is a successful method of preservation of DNA in human muscle tissue up to 4 weeks in both room temperature and 37 oC. While NaCl and Ethanol 70% are successful methods of preservation of DNA in muscle tissue up to 2 weeks only in 37 oC and up to 4 weeks in room temperature (15-20oC).