利用DNA和RNA进行死亡时间推断的研究进展

Research Progress on the Determination of DNA and RNA Postmortem Interval

死亡时间是法医和刑事侦查工作者在调查犯罪行为和其他死亡事件中所需要的重要信息之一。但是目前死亡时间推断所使用的传统方法常受到经验和环境的影响,从而降低推断的准确性。由于DNA和某些RNA在细胞内的含量十分稳定,而且个体死亡后这些遗传物质随着死亡时间的延长呈有规律地降解,所以通过测定死后细胞内的DNA和RNA含量推断死亡时间成为法医学的研究热点。

Postmortem interval is important information used to investigate crimes and other untimely deaths. However conventional methods of PMI determination are imprecise due to lack of experience and uncertain environment. Because of the stability of DNA and some kinds of RNA in-vivo which would be gradually digested after death with increasing PMI, determining the quantity of DNA and RNA to estimate the PMI should be one of the most valuable subjects in forensic studies. This article will discuss the meth- ods of DNA and RNA quantitation to estimate PMI and application in forensic studies at present.