Application of single-locus hypervariable region DNA probes to deficiency cases in paternity testing.

Seven DNA probes which recognize single-locus hypervariable region (HVR) were applied to a paternity test in which the putative father and his wife were deceased. Three legitimate children, an illegitimate child and her mother were available for analysis. The cumulative paternity index of the illegitimate child derived from 15 conventional blood group markers was 18.71 and from 7 DNA probes 92,572.08, that is, 4,948 times higher than the former. Thus the DNA analyses gave nearly conclusive evidence that the putative father was the biological father of the child. The application of highly discriminating polymorphisms of DNA which recognize single HVR loci is considered to be extremely informative in cases of disputed parentage.