Proving paternity of children with deceased fathers.

Determination of paternity was attempted in the case of three children whose putative fathers are dead using DNA samples of the paternal grandparents. The DNA analyses were performed with both multilocus and single-locus probes which resolve highly polymorphic areas of human genome. The results were conclusive with both types of probes and facilitated, for example, the exclusion of the brother of the putative father. The evidence for true paternity obtained with DNA analyses can be considered reliable in this type of "indirect" paternity in which tests based on protein polymorphism are inconclusive.