Lecture 8 Identification of Vaginal Secretions & Menstrual Blood

Vaginal Secretions

Fluid secreted by the vaginal mucosa, critical for clinical investigations, particularly in sexual assault cases.

Glycogenated Cells

Cells in the vaginal lining that contain glycogen, important for identifying sex-related biological samples.

Lugol’s Iodine Staining

A technique used for identifying glycogenated vaginal epithelial cells by producing a color change.

Vaginal Acid Phosphatase

An enzyme found in vaginal secretions that is important for forensic investigations to distinguish from prostate acid phosphatase.

D-dimer

A degradation product formed from the breakdown of fibrin, used as a biomarker in detecting blood coagulation in menstrual blood.

Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)

An enzyme involved in glycolysis, with specific isoenzymes present in menstrual versus peripheral blood.

Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) Genes

Tissue-specific markers used for forensic identification of menstrual blood.

Periodic Acid-Schiff Method

A staining technique that highlights cellular components, resulting in a magenta color in the cytoplasm of vaginal epithelial cells.

Dane’s Staining Method

A technique used to differentiate between skin, buccal, and vaginal epithelial cells based on color.

Endometrial Hemostasis

The process that aids in the cessation of menstrual bleeding through the balance of blood coagulation and clot dissolution.