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Paternity evaluation in cases lacking a mother and nondetectable alleles

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Abstract

In parentage testing the formulae for computing paternity index and exclusion probability generally ignores the presence of nondetectable alleles at the loci tested. In contrast, it is now known that even when paternity testing is done with hypervariable DNA markers, nondetectable alleles should not be ignored. This work presents simple formulae needed with this consideration, to analyze paternity evaluation from DNA markers in cases where the mother of the disputed child is unavailable for testing. It is shown that even a modest frequency of nondetectable alleles (e.g., 2–5% per locus) may have a substantial impact on the paternity index when the child and/or the alleged father exhibits a single-banded DNA profile at a locus. Use of such formulae can generate a high probability of exclusion and a high paternity index when multiple independently segregating hypervariable DNA markers are used.

Zusammenfassung

Bei der Vaterschaftsbestimmung ignorieren im allgemeinen die Formeln für die Berechnung des Paternitätsindex und der Ausschlußchance die Anwesenheit nicht-nachweisbarer Allele an den untersuchten Loci. Im Gegenteil, es ist jetzt bekannt, daß selbst, wenn Vaterschaftsuntersuchungen mit hypervariablen DNA-Markern durchgeführt werden, nicht nachweisbare Allele nicht ignoriert werden sollten. Diese Untersuchung präsentiert einfach Formeln, welche unter dieser Bedingung benötigt werden, um die Vaterschaftsbestimmung mit DNA-Markern in solchen Fällen durchzuführen, in denen die Mutter des zu untersuchenden Kindes nicht verfügbar ist. Es wird gezeigt, daß sogar eine mäßige Frequenz nicht detektierbarer Allele (z.B. 2–5% per Locus) einen substantiellen Einfluß auf den Paternitätsindex haben kann, wenn das Kind und/oder der Putativvater ein Einzelbandenmuster an einem Locus haben. Die Benutzung solcher Formeln kann eine hohe Wahrscheinlichkeit des Ausschlusses und einen hohen Paternitätsindex generieren, wenn zahlreiche, unabhängig voneinander segregierende hypervariable DNA-Marker benutzt werden.

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Chakraborty, R., Jin, L. & Zhong, Y. Paternity evaluation in cases lacking a mother and nondetectable alleles. Int J Leg Med 107, 127–131 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225599

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225599

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