Chimerism after HSCT: Forensic identification vs clinical management of patient using short tandem repeats

Short tandem repeats (STRs) analysis is a technique used for personal identification of an individual in forensic case works. This technique is also used to evaluate the chimeric status of a patient who undergoes allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. HSCT is used worldwide to treat malignant and non malignant diseases. HSCT leads to cellular chimerism in patients. Chimerism analysis is the best analysis to estimate transplant engraftment or relapse of disease in due course of clinical management of the patient. Concurrently chimerism may lead to false interpretation when the sample for forensic identification is from a person who is genetic chimera. To determine ideal sample for forensic identification as well as to check chimeric status of patients, different samples were collected after transplant from female patients who received stem cells from male donor and analysis was done using male specific short tandem repeats.