Establishing an STR allele frequency database for the Paraguayan population

This project determined whether the loci included in the Athos PCR Directa para Identificacao Humana Amplification and AmpFlSTR[R] Identifiler[R] PCR Amplification Kits are suitable for establishment of an STR allele frequency database representative of the Paraguayan population. Allele frequencies for the 21 STR loci included in the Athos PCR Directa para Identificacao Humana Amplification Kit were calculated for 200 individuals in the Paraguayan population. Allele frequencies for the 15 STR loci included in the AmpFlSTR[R] Identifiler[R] PCR Amplification Kit were also calculated for 300 individuals in the Paraguayan population. Performance of these loci was determined by testing the population for Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, testing for Linkage Disequilibrium between the loci in the kits, and calculating Power of Discrimination, Power of Exclusion, and Mean Power of Exclusion. Comparability between the common loci included in the two PCR kits was also tested. Results of these tests determined that the Athos PCR Directa para Identificacao Humana Amplification and AmpFlSTR[R] Identifiler[R] PCR Amplification Kits are both suitable for use in an STR allele frequency database. Additionally, the common loci contained in the two PCR kits are comparable, and the populations can be combined to create one database.