Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry of Triacylglycerols and Other Components in Fingermark Samples
by Emerson, Beth; Gidden, Jennifer; Lay, Jackson O., Jr.; Durham, Bill
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% confidence level and two others at 97.5% 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.
- Journal
- Journal of Forensic Sciences
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 2
- Year
- 2011
- Start Page
- 381-389
- URL
- https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01655.x
- ISBN/ISSN
- 1556-4029; 0022-1198
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01655.x