Threat mail and forensic science: DNA profiling from items of evidence after treatment with DFO

Two cases of threatening letters with their accompanying envelopes were received to the Division of Forensic Identification unit of the Israel Police. The envelopes, including the stamps, and the letters were initially examined for latent fingerprints by the DFO reagent, known to cause degradation of DNA. Although no latent fingerprints could be visualized on any of the items, the biology laboratory using organic DNA extraction, was successful in defining genetic profiles from all the items employing six STR loci, even after treatment with DFO. In a controlled experiment, a known donor attached a stamp, by licking, to an envelope. This item was treated with DFO and then profiled using STR loci. The results showed that previous DFO treatment on the control stamp before DNA analysis had no negative effects on obtaining the DNA profile of the known donor using STR loci.     

The first mail bomb?

A news item in the newspaper, the Evening Star, for the Country, October 18, 1833, probably is the first report of a mail bomb in the United States. It is also likely to be the first defusing of a mail bomb. The device appeared to be extraordinarily sophisticated and would have likely worked had it not been for suspicions of the recipient of the bomb.     

The Slovenian population data on the PCR based loci HLA-DQA1, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC, and D1S80

Allele frequencies for the loci HLA-DQA1, LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC, and D1S80 were determined for a sample population of unrelated individuals from Slovenia. All loci meet Hardy-Weinberg expectations, except the loci GYPA (p = 0.041) and D1S80 (p = 0.009). There is little evidence for association of alleles among the seven loci. Only one out of 21 pairwise comparisons demonstrated departures from independence (HLA-DQA1/HBGG, p = 0.008). The allelic frequency data generally are similar to that of U.S. Caucasians.     

Suicide by electrocution with low-voltage current

Three cases of suicide by electrocution with low-voltage current were observed in five years (1994-1998) by medical clinical forensic examiners of an Emergency Forensic Unit of the Paris suburb among 2,000 external death examinations. The cases involved one woman, aged 72 and two men, aged 38 and 41. In the last two cases, electric burns were retrieved under bared electric wires, placed on the arms or fingers in order to realize a hand-to-hand electric circuit involving the heart muscle. In the other case, the electric circuit between mouth and foot also involved the heart muscle. Household low-voltage current delivered (220 V in France) had a sufficient strength to induce local muscular paralysis and heart fibrillation. In the three cases, blood samples taken have retrieved very high levels of muscular enzymes (CPK, LDH) correlated to the mechanism of electric death. The rareness of suicide by electrocution and its forensic characteristics are detailed in order to help the clinical forensic examiners, prosecutors, and police officers concerned by such death examinations.     

Potency trends of delta9-THC and other cannabinoids in confiscated marijuana from 1980-1997

The analysis of 35,312 cannabis preparations confiscated in the USA over a period of 18 years for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) and other major cannabinoids is reported. Samples were identified as cannabis, hashish, or hash oil. Cannabis samples were further subdivided into marijuana (loose material, kilobricks and buds), sinsemilla, Thai sticks and ditchweed. The data showed that more than 82% of all confiscated samples were in the marijuana category for every year except 1980 (61%) and 1981 (75%). The potency (concentration of delta9-THC) of marijuana samples rose from less than 1.5% in 1980 to approximately 3.3% in 1983 and 1984, then fluctuated around 3% till 1992. Since 1992, the potency of confiscated marijuana samples has continuously risen, going from 3.1% in 1992 to 4.2% in 1997. The average concentration of delta9-THC in all cannabis samples showed a gradual rise from 3% in 1991 to 4.47% in 1997. Hashish and hash oil, on the other hand, showed no specific potency trends. Other major cannabinoids [cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabichromene (CBC)] showed no significant change in their concentration over the years.     

Overdose and death with olanzapine: two case reports

Olanzapine is an antipsychotic drug that has been on the market since 1996. Olanzapine-related deaths are very rare; the literature reports only one. However, in a recent 5-month period one medical examiner's office found two such cases that are reported in this paper. One is a suicide and the other is not. The toxicologic and anatomic findings for each are described. Blood olanzapine concentrations ranged from 0.237 microg/ml for one to 0.675 microg/ml for the other. Gastric content concentrations also exhibited a wide range, varying from 0.197 microg/ml to 17.400 microg/ml for the other. Distribution studies of the liver, kidney, and brain produced nondetectable concentrations for the drug. There were no consistent pathologic anatomic findings for cause of death except for moderate coronary atherosclerosis in the nonsuicide case. Both deaths were attributed to olanzapine toxicity.     

Discrepancy between CYP2D6 phenotype and genotype derived from post-mortem dextromethorphan blood level

OBJECTIVE: To describe the death of a toddler after a therapeutic dose of dextromethorphan and its investigation. STUDY DESIGN: Case report, cytochrome P450 phenotype and genotype determination in the victim and post-mortem drug redistribution study performed in rats. RESULTS: A 20-month Asian male who received 3 mg of dextromethorphan once at 09:00 h and again at 22:00 h was found dead at 04:35 h. Post-mortem examination showed signs of early bronchopneumonia (bacterial cultures were negative); dextromethorphan and dextrorphan blood concentrations taken from the heart cavity were 500 ng/ml (1. 84 micromol/l) and 200 ng/ml (0.78 micromol/l), respectively. Despite the dextromethorphan level being almost 100-fold higher than expected after therapeutic doses, intentional or unintentional overdose was extremely unlikely; other potential causes were investigated. Post-mortem drug redistribution study performed in rats showed that dextromethorphan does not undergo extensive redistribution after death (6+/-5-fold increase) and could not explain the observed dextromethorphan level. The dextromethorphan/dextrorphan concentration ratio of 2.5 found in this toddler was compatible with a slow CYP2D6 metabolizer phenotype. However, the toddler exhibited a fast metabolizer genotype. Potential reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. CONCLUSION: CYP450 phenotypes derived from post-mortem blood levels should be interpreted with caution and preferably confirmed by a genotype analysis.