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Sexually Transmitted Infections: Usefulness of Molecular Methods for Microorganism Detection in Stored Sexual Assault Samples

2025-08Text Open access
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Médicas
dc.contributor.authorCainé, Laura
dc.contributor.authorEiras, Ana
dc.contributor.authorFadoni, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorFranco, Magda
dc.contributor.authorCorreia Dias, Maria Helena
dc.contributor.authorAmorim, António
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-26T12:55:13Z
dc.date.available2025-08-26T12:55:13Z
dc.date.issued2025-08
dc.description.abstractSexual assault is a global public health and human rights concern, with serious physical, psychological and reproductive consequences for survivors. Among these, sexually transmitted infections are particularly relevant due to their frequently asymptomatic nature and potential for long-term complications. The detection of sexually transmitted infections in forensic settings is crucial for clinical management of victims and for evidentiary support in forensic sexual crimes investigations. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of real-time polymerase chain reaction for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Treponema pallidum in biological samples collected from victims of sexual assault and stored under routine forensic conditions, in some cases, for up to 18 years. A total of 231 swabs from 116 individuals collected between 2004 and 2017 were analysed using real-time PCR with pathogen-specific primers and fluorescent probes. The analysis revealed 13 positive samples of T. vaginalis (5.6%) and 11 of C. trachomatis (4.8%). No positive results were obtained for N. gonorrhoeae or T. pallidum. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of real-time polymerase chain reaction for detecting sexually transmitted infections in long-term preserved forensic samples. Moreover, the ability to identify pathogen DNA in archived samples highlights the potential role of molecular diagnostics in the retrospective investigation of sexual crimes, including cold cases. It underscores the value of molecular methods as a complementary tool in forensic proceedings and survivor care.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipInstituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses
dc.identifier.citationCainé, L., Eira, A., Fadoni, J., Franco, M., Correia Dias, H., & Amorim, A. (2025). Sexually Transmitted Infections: Usefulness of Molecular Methods for Microorganism Detection in Stored Sexual Assault Samples. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(17), 8124. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26178124
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/ijms26178124
dc.identifier.issn1422-0067
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/58454
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectSexual crimes
dc.subjectSexually transmitted infections
dc.subjectForensic microbiology
dc.titleSexually Transmitted Infections: Usefulness of Molecular Methods for Microorganism Detection in Stored Sexual Assault Sampleseng
dc.typetext
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue17
oaire.citation.titleInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
oaire.citation.volume26
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameCainé
person.familyNameFadoni
person.familyNamefranco
person.familyNameCorreia Dias
person.familyNameAmorim
person.givenNameLaura
person.givenNameJennifer
person.givenNamemagda
person.givenNameMaria Helena
person.givenNameAntónio
person.identifierAAR-9087-2020
person.identifier.ciencia-id021A-33DD-869D
person.identifier.ciencia-id7715-6D9A-CB35
person.identifier.ciencia-idA819-AA5E-FAC6
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-6542-4256
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-7593-1059
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-1604-334X
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-4711-6038
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-7506-4426
person.identifier.ridA-4414-2013
person.identifier.scopus-author-id2311978
person.identifier.scopus-author-id35253426400
relation.isAuthorOfPublication1a1e1ffc-1439-48f2-a4c3-359c66db3ad1
relation.isAuthorOfPublication3b4805b7-1f1b-4fcf-b159-875b8ec89084
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery1a1e1ffc-1439-48f2-a4c3-359c66db3ad1

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