International Journal of Legal Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Association between orocraniofacial trauma and dental injuries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Linda Yuliati, Mindya Yuniastuti, Oskar Nowak, Elza Ibrahim Auerkari","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03922-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03922-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Orocraniofacial (OCF) trauma includes injuries to the oral cavity, cranial structures, and facial skeleton caused by road traffic accidents, interpersonal violence, falls, and other high-energy events. Dental injuries are an often underreported component of OCF trauma despite their important forensic value in victim identification, documentation of violence, and determination of cause of death.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to March 2026 without language restrictions. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Risk of Bias 2 (RoB-2) tools. A random-effects meta-analysis was applied, and heterogeneity was quantified using the I² statistic.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 1,860 records, 18 studies involving 46,247 participants across 12 countries met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of dental injuries in OCF trauma was 24.3% (95% CI: 19.8-29.1%), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 81.2%). Crown fractures were the most common injury type (OR 2.09; 95% CI: 1.74-2.51). Interpersonal violence showed the strongest association (OR 2.61; 95% CI: 1.98-3.44). Male gender (OR 1.58) and individuals under 18 years (OR 1.45) were consistently associated risk factors. Maxillary anterior teeth accounted for 82.7% of injuries.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In conclusion, dental injuries are significantly associated with OCF trauma and hold substantial forensic importance. Routine dental examination should be integrated into trauma assessment and forensic investigations, with future research focusing on standardized classification systems and multicenter prospective studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3547-3563"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148470453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimization of DNA collection card workflows on the RapidHIT™ ID instrument.","authors":"Elizabeth J Kowalczyk, Kapema Bupe Kapema, Jonathan L King, Robert Lagacé, Michael D Coble, Jennifer C Cihlar","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03885-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03885-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The RapidHIT™ ID System, enables CODIS eligible STR profile generation from reference samples in approximately 90 minutes. While initially optimized for buccal swabs, DNA collection cards, both treated (Nucleic-card™ and EasiCollect™) and untreated (Bode Buccal DNA Collector™), offer alternatives for collection and storage of reference samples. This study evaluated the performance of these cards using ACE GlobalFiler™ Express cartridges across a range of potentially impactful scenarios, including assessment of varying punch sizes, contamination control measures, treated versus untreated collection cards, sample placement within the cartridge, and impact of varying storage times on the collection cards. Results from cross-contamination testing confirmed no detectable contamination between samples, and a 6 mm punch size yielded the highest first-pass success rate and profile quality. Treated cards showed consistent performance during initial runs, regardless of whether they were processed wet or dry. For reruns, the EasiCollect™ cards on average produced higher overall signal when the wetting protocol was used. The untreated Bode card showed greater signal consistency when used dry, while wet treatment improved initial success rates. Proteinase K treatment enhanced DNA recovery from samples aged up to three years. Collectively, these findings provide practical, evidence-based guidelines for implementing DNA collection card-based workflows on the RapidHIT™ ID system, supporting its application across varied forensic and operational environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3649-3665"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658342/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148338579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developmental validation of a six-dye Multi-InDels kit for personal identification and paternity testing of highly degraded DNA samples.","authors":"Yuepeng Wang, Hongtao Jia, Shanlin Sun, Jing Zhao, Qiheng Xie, Jiayi Luo, Yumou Wei, Xiaoyi Fu, Lian Liu, Dan Wen, Changquan Zhang, Mingkun Xie, Lagabaiyila Zha, Jienan Li","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03881-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03881-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Highly degraded samples are common in forensic casework and remain among the most challenging samples for forensic genetic analysis. Conventional STR-based technologies often yield partial or null profiles from such samples, making the acquisition of complete profiles a persistent challenge. To address this limitation, we developed a six-dye Multi-InDels kit based on Multi-InDels markers characterized by short amplicon sizes, high polymorphism, and low mutation and recombination rates, while maintaining full compatibility with capillary electrophoresis platforms. The kit integrates 26 Multi-InDels loci and an amelogenin locus into a multiplex system, with all amplicons not exceeding 125 bp, and is specifically designed for personal identification and paternity testing involving highly degraded DNA. Comprehensive internal validation studies demonstrated robust system performance, with complete profiles consistently obtained from as little as 62.5 pg of input DNA. Comparative analyses with STR kits showed that the Multi-InDels kit markedly improved the recovery of complete profiles from highly degraded samples, including artificially degraded DNA and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Population studies yielded a combined random match probability (CMP) of 2.25 × 10⁻¹⁷ and a cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) of 0.999925. In paternity testing, 48 confirmed trios produced an average combined paternity index (CPI) of 3.2952 × 10⁶, and all 4,800 non-biological fathers were successfully excluded. In addition, innovative investigations were conducted on Multi-InDels allele nomenclature, evaluation strategies for degraded samples, and rare alleles. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the Multi-InDels kit provides a convenient, feasible, and robust tool for forensic analysis of highly degraded samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3757-3773"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148404673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental DNA (eDNA) from humans: Review of recent advancements and forensic implications.","authors":"Nilanjan Saha, Nandini Singh, Monisha Samuel","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03911-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03911-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The collection and analysis of biological samples for DNA profiling have become indispensable tools in forensic investigations, facilitating both the incrimination and exoneration of individuals implicated in criminal activities. Every individual constantly release traces of their DNA into their surroundings, depositing genetic material in the environment. Recent advancements in DNA technology have enabled the detection and profiling of these trace samples containing minimal cellular material. These evidences expand the scope of forensic analysis to a new concept of environmental DNA (eDNA) which refers to genetic material recovered from environmental matrices such as water, soil, and air. While eDNA has traditionally been utilized in ecological contexts-such as non-invasive species monitoring and population genetics-its forensic applications are now garnering significant attention. Between 2005 and 14th February, 2026 different keyword searches in Google Scholar, Scopus and PubMed revealed that about 25% of eDNA studies focused on biodiversity, 27% on conservation, and only 10% on forensic applications-with a mere 0.08% dedicated to human eDNA. This review, therefore, concentrates on human eDNA analysis from environmental sources such as water, air, and soil, along with their downstream applications. The approach offers a promising, non-invasive avenue for collecting biological evidence, potentially transforming forensic investigation methods. At the same time where eDNA research grows, it must also address key legal and ethical issues such as consent, data ownership, and privacy. This review summarizes recent advances and future directions in forensic eDNA, emphasizing the need for strong ethical and regulatory frameworks for its responsible use.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3527-3546"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148390777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Boiled or not boiled? - D-aspartic acid in bone proteins as proof of a burial \"more teutonico\"?","authors":"Melanie Schröder, Valerie Bühren, Alexandra Reckert, Julia Becker, Lisa König, Stefanie Ritz","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03928-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03928-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Around the 12th/thirteenth century, a burial method called \"more teutonico\" was used for the remains of high-ranking individuals who had died far from their homeland and had to be brought back for burial. Before transportation, the bodies or body parts were boiled (macerated) to remove all soft tissue. The question of whether a body was boiled postmortem, is of particular interest for historians (burial \"more teutonico\"?) and this question may also be relevant in a forensic context, even if only in rare cases. In 1989, Bada, Herrmann, Payan and Man (\"Amino acid razemization in bone and the boiling of Emperor Lothar I.\" in Applied Geochemistry) suggested using the D-aspartic acid content of bone as an objective indicator of a postmortem exposure to heat. This approach was never substantiated by further studies, and more recent findings call the concept into question.Therefore, we tested the \"Bada approach\" by analysing the D-aspartic acid content in boiled bone samples (pig, human) using different \"boiling recipes\" of procedures \"more teutonico\" (using water, wine, or vinegar as boiling media), and discussed it under consideration of the recent literature. Using the boiled human bone samples, we also investigated whether the question of \"boiled or not boiled?\" could be answered by another parameter, namely by analysing the pentosidine content of a sample.An accumulation of D-aspartic acid was observed during boiling in both pig and human bone samples. It was considerably lower in the human samples and significantly influenced by the medium used. By contrast, boiling did not result in pentosidine accumulation.These experimental results call into question the reliability of the \"Bada approach\" - not least because the type of boiling medium may not be recreated in each individual case. Moreover, this approach does not take the current knowledge on the intravital accumulation of D-aspartic acid in bone samples of different origins into account, nor the influence of postmortem conditions on the D-aspartic acid content in non-heated samples (used as controls by Bada et al.). Overall, the approach of Bada et al. should not be accepted uncritically, as proving a treatment \"more teutonico\" based solely on the D-aspartic acid content seems hardly possible - and if so, only under very strict conditions. The analysis of pentosidine is not suitable for demonstrating a burial \"more teutonico\".</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"4255-4263"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658514/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148630313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geographical distribution and seasonality of insect species and gut microbiota of fly larvae from 65 real cases in China.","authors":"Fengqin Yang, Lele Tian, Yang Xia, Chengxin Ye, Hai Wu, Hao Wang, Yuanxing Wang, Shaojiang Guo, Nan Guo, Junbo Yang, Jiasheng Sun, Yi Li, Zhongxiu Tao, Xinquan Xiong, Xiaojiang Huang, Taotao Xu, Xiaohui Liu, Yanjie Shang, Yadong Guo","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03966-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03966-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Forensic entomology can be pivotal for minimum postmortem interval (PMImin) estimation. Case-based studies can support forensic investigations and guide laboratory research, but systematic data from real cases in China remain limited. In this study, 65 forensic entomology cases collected from 2017 to 2024 in two regions of China, Beijing and Hunan, were analyzed to characterize necrophagous insect occurrence patterns and larval gut microbiota. A total of 30 colonizing insect species from 11 families were identified. Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya megacephala, and Sarcophaga crassipalpis were the most frequently recorded species. Diptera, especially Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae, were mainly associated with shorter postmortem intervals, whereas coleopteran taxa were more often observed in longer-interval cases. In addition, insect occurrence showed clear geographical distribution and seasonality: L. sericata and S. crassipalpis predominated in Beijing cases, whereas C. megacephala and Sarcophaga peregrina were more frequent in Hunan cases. Overall species diversity was highest in summer, whereas only Calliphora vicina and Aldrichina grahami were observed in winter. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of larval gut microbiota revealed a stable core microbiome across diverse cases and species, including Ignatzschineria, Clostridium, Peptostreptococcus, Vagococcus, and Peptoniphilus. This study provides regional forensic entomology reference data and characterizes the gut microbiota of fly larvae collected directly from human remains in police casework, offering a useful basis for future forensic investigations and laboratory studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"4373-4383"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148759402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gender differences in sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, and psychopharmacological treatments among forensic ınpatients with serious mental ıllness in Türkiye.","authors":"Şükrü Alperen Korkmaz, Bengisu Çatlı, Hatice Çiftçi, Şahin Gürkan, Sena Akpolat, Öykü Zaimoğulları, Burcu Yatkın, Senem Yapar, Erol Göka","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03913-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03913-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gender differences in psychiatric symptoms and pharmacological treatment are well-documented in general psychiatry but remain understudied in forensic psychiatric populations. This study aimed to explore gender-based differences in sociodemographic, clinical, criminal, biochemical, and pharmacological characteristics among forensic inpatients with serious mental illness (SMI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 100 patients (59 men, 41 women) with SMI who were admitted to the forensic psychiatry department by court order were included in a two-time-point observational cohort study with assessments at admission (T1) and discharge (T2). Sociodemographic and clinical traits, criminal data, psychopathological features, blood test results, medication dosages (including antipsychotic equivalent doses calculated using four methods), and treatment side effects were evaluated (T1 and T2) and then compared between genders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No gender differences were observed in clinical symptom severity, functional level, side-effect profile, hospitalization duration, or treatment type (monotherapy vs polypharmacy; LAI use; adjunctive medications such as benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, and anticholinergics). Men experienced more hospital admissions and guardianship cases. The age at first offense was younger among men, but the rate of violent crime was higher among women. Men were prescribed notably higher doses of antipsychotics, even when accounting for confounders (according to the WHO-defined daily dose and the Maudsley 2025 equivalent dose table). Furthermore, men were more likely to be using high doses of antipsychotics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study provides new data from an underrepresented population. It highlights gender differences in forensic psychiatry, especially in treatment dosages. Clinicians view male patients with SMI as more aggressive, impulsive, or more likely to reoffend. More personalized and gender-sensitive prescribing practices may be necessary in forensic psychiatry settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"4181-4194"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148404602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular autopsy in unexplained sudden death: a systematic review and meta-analysis of ACMG-corrected diagnostic yield, genomic architecture, and family translation.","authors":"Raghvendra Singh, Ravindra Kumar Garg, Heena Singh, Anoop K Verma","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03935-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03935-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Molecular autopsy is increasingly used in unexplained sudden death, but reported diagnostic yield varies across sequencing eras, cohort types, and variant-classification frameworks. This review evaluated ACMG-corrected diagnostic yield, genomic architecture, VUS burden, and downstream family translation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This PRISMA-based systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251082728). Studies reporting postmortem genetic testing in sudden unexplained death were included. Quantitative diagnostic-yield synthesis included 44 core molecular autopsy studies comprising 4,041 index cases; 35 studies contributed family-translation data. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed, and subgroup analyses were conducted by sequencing strategy and age group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The pooled ACMG-corrected diagnostic yield was approximately 13%, with substantial heterogeneity. Broader sequencing approaches showed modestly higher yield than candidate/restricted panels (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.09-1.70; p = 0.006), but with greater VUS burden. Young adult/adult cohorts showed the highest pooled yield, while infant/pediatric cohorts demonstrated broader multisystem genomic architecture and higher VUS burden. Recurrent substrates included RYR2, SCN5A, KCNQ1, KCNH2, TTN, and MYBPC3. Family-translation data were available from 35 studies, including 25 overlapping index-case cohorts; genotype-positive relatives, phenotype-positive relatives, segregation analysis, and clinically actionable interventions were frequently reported.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Contemporary ACMG-compatible molecular autopsy provides modest but clinically meaningful diagnostic yield. Its major value extends beyond postmortem diagnosis, supporting family-based preventive genomic medicine through cascade screening, phenotype correlation, and targeted risk stratification.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3583-3595"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148648498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From pocket to profile: Scale-free pelvic sex estimation from 3D photogrammetry.","authors":"Michal Kuchař, Alexander Morávek, Anežka Pilmann Kotěrová, Eugénia Cunha, Tomáš Janoušek","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03860-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03860-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Biological sex estimation is a cornerstone of the forensic biological profile, and the adult pelvis remains the most informative skeletal region due to pronounced sexual dimorphism. At the same time, three-dimensional documentation of skeletal evidence is rapidly expanding beyond computed tomography and laboratory scanners toward inexpensive, accessible approaches such as photogrammetry-with mobile phone cameras. While the reliability of photogrammetry for osteological documentation has been supported, most established pelvic sexing approaches still assume measurements in absolute units or rely on expert scoring of morphological traits.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We propose and validate a scale-free workflow for sex estimation from unscaled 3D pelvic models. The final approach is based on within-specimen log-ratios of seven collected pelvic measurements rather than on absolute units. Model development used a pooled reference dataset of 2,321 known-sex os coxae from documented dry-bone and CT-derived sources, and external implementation testing targeted unscaled photogrammetric pelvic models acquired under realistic conditions (n = 103).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the Coimbra photogrammetric subset, the final scale-free model achieved 97.1% binary accuracy, 97.1% balanced accuracy, and an area under curve of 0.997. Under conservative strict thresholds, 90.3% of cases received a definitive classification, all of which were correct, while the remaining 9.7% were retained as indeterminate.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Scale-free pelvic sex estimation supports the forensic use of unscaled photogrammetric 3D bone models in situations where reliable external calibration is unavailable. The method does not replace standard calibrated osteometry, but it provides a practical and defensible alternative for low-cost digital documentation, remote analysis, and triage-oriented forensic workflows.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3983-3992"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658309/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148163218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a precise saliva-based epigenetic clock using a six-CpG-marker panel.","authors":"Weijie Teng, Xufeng Chu, Weifen Sun, Ao Huang, Ziwei Wang, Bofeng Zhu, Xiling Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00414-026-03873-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00414-026-03873-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Saliva, a frequently encountered biological specimen in forensic investigations, has great potential to provide critical leads if the donor's age can be accurately estimated. This study aimed to develop a precise epigenetic clock for predicting age by identifying the most highly informative CpG sites derived from saliva. Using genome-wide 850K methylation array data from saliva samples of 76 Han Chinese individuals, we initially selected 33 candidate CpG sites based on correlation analyses and an extensive literature review. We then applied a multi-stage feature selection process, performing 250 iterations across five machine learning algorithms running in parallel: Elastic Net, Lasso, Ridge, Support Vector Regression (SVR), and robust Lasso (rLasso). By using recursive feature elimination (RFE) optimized to reduce mean absolute error (MAE), we identified an optimal set of six core CpG sites (cg09809672, cg10501210, cg26290632, cg04875128, cg06639320, and cg07553761) that showed strong associations with age. Among the models tested, rLasso and SVR delivered the best and comparable predictive accuracy, with MAEs of 3.240 and 3.267 years, respectively, which were significantly better than the other linear models. Validation on three independent datasets and comparison with seven established epigenetic clocks showed that our models achieved accuracy comparable to leading methods, like the Hannum and Horvath clocks, while substantially outperforming others such as the Levine, PedBE, and Wu clocks. Moreover, the MAEs of our models were lower than those reported for 85% of the 60 previously published saliva-based epigenetic clocks. In summary, we developed a highly accurate epigenetic age prediction panel for saliva that includes only six CpG sites. The resulting rLasso and SVR models provide an excellent balance of high predictive accuracy and practical applicability, making them valuable tools for forensic age prediction and aging-related research.</p>","PeriodicalId":14071,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Legal Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"3635-3648"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148301708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}