Obstetric Markers as a Diagnostic Forensic Tool

The field of Forensic diagnostics is evolving very rapidly keeping in pace with the emerging technology in the various fields. Several biomarkers up to the molecular level have been discovered which aid in solving cases. Pregnancy diagnosis from traces of blood could aid in solving cases of finding a missing pregnant lady or illegal abortions. But the challenge posed could possibly be the minimal amount of blood obtained for diagnosis. Here comes in the role of RT PCR diagnosing mRNA which is pregnancy specific, i.e., for hPL and beta hCG. The additional advantage would be that a small quantity suffices. Even if the blood stain is dried and degraded, the detection rate is good. This could add weightage to the investigation as a vital clue or change the course of investigation. The other areas of application of obstetric biomarkers are sexual assault, maternal substance abuse and paternity testing