Development of an immunoassay for the differentiation of menstrual blood from peripheral blood

Forensic identification of body fluids is a crucial aspect of the discipline. To date, there are no robust tests to make a distinction between menstrual blood and peripheral blood. Past techniques have fallen short of producing clear and consistent results while present mRNA techniques are still in their infancy. The aim of this study was to develop of an accurate and rapid immunoassay based identification method. Three different targets were evaluated: matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14), oestrogen receptor α (ERα), and fibrinogen. Cellular or membrane bound antigens were analyzed using immunocytochemical staining while soluble antigens were analyzed by indirect ELISA. Results showed that ERα and MMP14 are present in the endometrial cells of menstrual blood but absent in peripheral blood. At a total protein concentration of 10 μg/mL or lower, fibrinogen was detected in menstrual blood but absent in peripheral. If evaluated on a larger scale, immunoassays may prove to be beneficial in discriminating menstruum and peripheral blood.