Evaluation of skin- or sweat-characteristic mRNAs for inferring the human origin of touched contact traces

The source of small amounts of touch DNA, which is transferred from the skin to an object when it is handled or touched, could be an issue in the forensic analysis of criminal cases. Here, we performed an extended evaluation of skin- or sweat-characteristic mRNAs to investigate their usability to infer whether an object has been handled or touched by someone. First, we compared the expression levels of candidate genes between skin swabs and other body fluids by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Among the analyzed genes, corneodesmosin (CDSN), late cornified envelope 1C (LCE1C), filaggrin (FLG), desmocollin 1, and dermcidin were selected for further analysis on the basis of their specificities and sensitivities. Then, we tried to detect these genes from mock casework samples. As a result, CDSN, LCE1C, and FLG could be good markers because of their detectability. Finally, we determined the correlation between the expression of these genes and DNA yield of skin swabs to assess their adaptability as a screening test for touch DNA samples. However, the detectability of these genes was not correlated with the DNA yield of skin swab samples. In conclusion, gene expression analysis of the skin- or sweat-characteristic mRNAs CDSN, LCE1C, and FLG could be useful for inferring the skin origin of touched contact traces, but the use of the expression levels of these mRNAs for the prediction of DNA yield is problematic. To develop a screening test for touch DNA samples, other markers that have a well-correlated sensitivity with DNA analysis should be investigated.