Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry of Triacylglycerols and Other Components in Fingermark Samples

• NCJ Number: 234430
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2011 Pages: 381-389
• Author(s): Beth Emerson, B.A.; Jennifer Gidden, Ph.D.; Jackson O. Lay, Jr., Ph.D.; Bill Durham, Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2011
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5P20RR015569
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This articles discusses that chemical composition of fingermarks could potentially be important for determining investigative leads, placing individuals at the time of a crime, and has applications as biomarkers of disease.

Abstract

The chemical composition of fingermarks could potentially be important for determining investigative leads, placing individuals at the time of a crime, and has applications as biomarkers of disease. Fingermark samples containing triacylglycerols (TAGs) and other components were analyzed using laser desorption/ionization (LDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). Only LDI appeared to be useful for this application while conventional matrix-assisted LDI-TOF MS was not. Tandem MS was used to identify/confirm selected TAGs. A limited gender comparison, based on a simple t-distribution and peaks intensities, indicated that two TAGs showed gender specificity at the 95 percent confidence level and two others at 97.5 percent confidence. Because gender-related TAGs differences were most often close to the standard deviation of the measurements, the majority of the TAGs showed no gender specificity. Thus, LDI-TOF MS is not a reliable indicator of gender based on fingermark analysis. Cosmetic ingredients present in some samples were identified. (Published Abstract)