Objective: To assess the application value of laser capture microdissection (LCM) technique for isolating a small number of sperm cells from mixture sample.
Methods: Mixture samples were prepared with sperm cells and vaginal epithelia at different concentrations. Both LCM technique and the differential lysis method were employed to obtain sperm cells from the mixture samples, and DNA was extracted by magnetic beads method. STR genotyping was determined using Identifiler kit.
Results: The successful STR genotype rate of sperm cells isolated from mixture samples with LCM technique was 92.86% (13/14). The rate of differential lysis method was 7.14% (1/14). The successful rates between the two methods were statistically different (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: LCM technique can effectively exclude the interference of female cell component and isolate a small number of sperm cells to obtain a single male STR genotyping. LCM technique is obviously better than the differential lysis method.