ABSTRACT
The efficiency of individualisation using nonisotopic chemiluminescent- enhanced probes (NICE) was investigated by analysing DNA fingerprints obtained from 190 unrelated Caucasians. Novel analysis of the scoring procedure enabled us to include the comparison of 585 pairs of samples for each of two probes. When the results of NICE probes 33.6 and 33.15 were combined, the mean percentage band share between two unrelated individuals was 16.8% and the mean number of bands identified in an individual DNA fingerprint was 54.8. Results were compared with those obtained using isotopically labelled probes and suggest that the two labelling systems gave similar efficiencies for differentiating between individuals. Analysis of DNA fingerprints from 37 family trios (mother, child and father groups) gave a mutation rate of 0.10% when using NICE probes. The two labelling systems compared were equally efficient in establishing family relationships.
