Dagmara
Verified @pum.edu.pl
Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Joanna Drath, Joanna Jarzęcka-Stąporek, Julia Zacharczuk, Dagmara Lisman, Sandra Cytacka, Maria Szargut, Ozgur Bulut, Kate Spradley, Marek E. Jasinski, Mirosław Parafiniuk,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
AbstractAt the Treblinka extermination and forced labor camp only a few SS soldiers and around a hundred watchmen kept guard over thousands of prisoners. Despite their lower rank in the Nazi hierarchy than SS soldiers, watchmen were vital to implementing “Operation Reinhard” in the field. Prisoners in Nazi camps were terrified by their brutality and ruthlessness.The guards were intermediaries between the camp’s inmates and the commanding crew, so in cases of a prisoners’ riot, they were the first target. The historical records mention several incidents where the watchmen died at the hands of the captives. However, little is known regarding how the dead bodies of the guards were treated nor what the funeral customs looked like in the camps.In 2019, a row of individual burials was discovered at the former Treblinka extermination and forced labor camp. Seven of those graves were explored to identify the people buried in such an unusual manner and to find out what had caused their deaths. A thorough multidisciplinary study, combining the forensic disciplines of archaeology, anthropology, medicine, and genetics provided the answer.Considering archaeological findings, it can be deduced that the graves belong to the Treblinka guards. The analysis conducted by an anthropologist indicates that the assessed biological profile aligns with the antemortem data of the Treblinka watchmen. Moreover, a study examining perimortem trauma has unveiled that out of the seven men studied, at least two met a violent demise. These findings are crucial in narrowing down the identification process.The results of our study contribute to a general understanding of the funerary customs prevalent in concentration camps worldwide. Prior to this work, there had never been any analysis or publication of the characteristics of watchmen graves at Nazi camps, making our results unique.
Ewelina Pośpiech, Joanna Rudnicka, Rezvan Noroozi, Aleksandra Pisarek-Pacek, Bożena Wysocka, Aleksander Masny, Michał Boroń, Kamila Migacz-Gruszka, Paulina Pruszkowska-Przybylska, Magdalena Kobus,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Rezvan Noroozi, Joanna Rudnicka, Aleksandra Pisarek, Bożena Wysocka, Aleksander Masny, Michał Boroń, Kamila Migacz-Gruszka, Paulina Pruszkowska-Przybylska, Magdalena Kobus, Dagmara Lisman,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Dagmara Lisman, Drath, Grażyna Zielińska, Thierry Wetering, Krzysztof Bukowski, and Andrzej Ossowski
Uniwersytet Jagiellonski - Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellonskiego
The purpose of this paper is to formulate recommendations for the disclosure of biological traces in the laboratory and the handling of forensic evidence submitted for identification tests, recommended by the Polish Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics. The paper organizes the knowledge of the most relevant stages of preliminary analysis of biological traces based on both literature sources and those resulting from years of research practice. Recommendations formulated in the course of multi-stage expert consultations contained in this study should be used in the development of laboratory procedures applied during the execution.
Dagmara Lisman, Joanna Drath, Grażyna Zielińska, Julia Zacharczuk, Jarosław Piątek, Thierry van de Wetering, and Andrzej Ossowki
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
AbstractDNA analysis-based identification is by far the gold standard in forensic genetics and it should be performed in every case involving human remains or unidentified bodies. Bones and teeth are the preferred source of human DNA for genetic analysis. However, there are cases where the nature of the proceedings and historical significance prevent the disruption of skeletal structure. The remains may also be heavily degraded. In such situations, forensic geneticists seek alternative sources of human DNA. Teeth calculus has proven to be a viable source of DNA for identification purposes. The aim of this study was to assess the concentration of human DNA in teeth calculus and evaluate the usefulness of teeth calculus as a DNA source in the identification process. Teeth calculus was collected from skeletons exhumed between 2021 and 2022 by the PBGOT (Polish Genetic Database of Victims of Totalitarianism) team from the former Stalag IID prisoner-of-war camp in Stargard. Genetic analyses included the determination of autosomal and Y-STR markers. The total concentration of human DNA was also evaluated in samples from teeth calculus and teeth taken from the same individuals. The pilot study included 22 skeletons with a sufficient amount of calculus for isolation (specified in the protocol). Samples were taken from the largest areas of calculus deposited on lingual surfaces of mandibular incisors. The prepared samples underwent DNA extraction. Our study demonstrated that teeth calculus is a source of human DNA for remains from the World War II period. The obtained DNA concentration allowed for the determination of STR markers. It was shown that teeth calculus contains human DNA in an amount suitable for preliminary identification analyses.
Joanna Drath, Joanna Jarzęcka-Stąporek, Dagmara Lisman, Maria Szargut, Marek E. Jasinski, Kate Spradley, Mirosław Parafiniuk, and Andrzej Ossowski
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
AbstractThe infamous Treblinka camp was one of numerous extermination camps throughout Poland, where Germans carried out mass killings of Jews. There were two camps in Treblinka, AL Treblinka I, a forced labor camp, and KL Treblinka II, the site of the extermination camp. Treblinka I held captives of various origins and ethnic backgrounds who were serving their sentences by working in a pre-existing gravel pit. Many of those prisoners perished in the camp, and it was believed that the principal causes of their death were attributed to the horrific sanitary conditions in the camp as well as the strenuous hard work of daily life. In 2019, archaeologists uncovered a clandestine mass burial pit that contained commingled human skeleton remains at the Execution Site of the former Treblinka I camp. It was estimated that there were a minimum of forty-nine people in the pit. Within months, an anthropologist performed biological profile assessments and detailed trauma analysis on the recovered skeletal parts. The main goal was to study perimortem trauma patterns to infer the cause and manner of death of the victims. We hypothesized that the victims did not die solely because of the camps’ conditions but were brutally slaughtered by the camp guards. Our results were later compared with the survivors’ written testimonies. As a result of our research, we were able to show that the Treblinka I captives’ death was extremely brutal and that the killing methods were varied. This led us to conclude that multiple assailants were involved in the killing spree. All of our results were consistent with the written witness testimonies, which concurs with our skeletal material analysis that proves the atrocities committed by the Nazis on their civilian prisoners during the war took place.
Ewelina Pośpiech, Aleksandra Pisarek, Joanna Rudnicka, Rezvan Noroozi, Michał Boroń, Aleksander Masny, Bożena Wysocka, Kamila Migacz-Gruszka, Dagmara Lisman, Paulina Pruszkowska-Przybylska,et al.
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Abstract Background DNA methylation analysis has proven to be a powerful tool for age assessment. However, the implementation of epigenetic age prediction in diagnostics or routine forensic casework requires appropriate laboratory methods. In this study, we aimed to compare the performance of large-scale DNA methylation analysis protocols that show promise in terms of accuracy, throughput, multiplexing capacity, and high sensitivity. Results The protocols were designed to target a predefined panel of 161 genomic CG/CA sites from four known estimators of epigenetic age-related parameters, optimized and validated using artificially methylated controls or blood samples. We successfully targeted 96% of these loci using two enrichment protocols: Ion AmpliSeq™, an amplicon-based method integrated with Ion Torrent S5, and SureSelectXT Methyl-Seq, a hybridization-based method followed by MiSeq FGx sequencing. Both protocols demonstrated high accuracy and robustness. Although hybridization assays have greater multiplexing capabilities, the best overall performance was observed for the amplicon-based protocol with the lowest variability in DNA methylation at 25 ng of starting DNA, mean observed marker coverage of ~ 6.7 k reads, and accuracy of methylation quantification with a mean absolute difference between observed and expected methylation beta value of 0.054. The Ion AmpliSeq method correlated strongly with genome-scale EPIC microarray data (R = 0.91) and showed superiority in terms of methylation measurement accuracy. Method-to-method bias was accounted for by the use of linear transformation, which provided a highly accurate prediction of calendar age with a mean absolute error of less than 5 years for the VISAGE and Hannum age clocks used. The pace of aging (PoAm) and the mortality risk score (MRS) estimators included in our panel represent next-generation clocks, were found to have low to moderate correlations with the VISAGE and Hannum models (R < 0.75), and thus may capture different aspects of epigenetic aging. Conclusions We propose a laboratory tool that allows the quantification of DNA methylation in cytosines underlying four different clocks, thus providing broad information on epigenetic aging while maintaining a reasonable number of CpG markers, opening the way to a wide range of applications in forensics, medicine, and healthcare.
Dagmara Lisman, Grażyna Zielińska, Joanna Drath, Aleksandra Łaszczewska, Ilona Savochka, Mirosław Parafiniuk, and Andrzej Ossowski
MDPI AG
The COVID-19 epidemic has led to a significant increase in the number of deaths. This has resulted in forensic autopsies focusing on additional diagnostic possibilities. The following article is a summary of 23 autopsies of sudden and unexplained deaths. Particularly noteworthy are the described cases of children whose deaths were originally classified as SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). All tests were performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Genetics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. Autopsy analyses were extended to include diagnostics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus using molecular methods and a detailed histopathological analysis of lung tissue. The material for molecular tests consisted of a nasopharyngeal swab taken postmortem and a lung tissue homogenate. In both cases, the RT-PCR method with CT cut-off point analysis was used for diagnosis. In all analyzed cases, the lungs showed massive congestion and increased fragility and cohesion. The tested material showed the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which indicated various stages of infection. It was observed that the higher the virus expression in the lungs, the lower or undetectable it was in the nasopharyngeal swab. This may explain false negative results during life in swabs. An interesting finding is that child deaths classified as SIDS also showed the presence of the virus. This may constitute a new direction of research.
Dagmara Lisman, Milena Bykowska, Joanna Drath, Grażyna Zielińska, Maria Szargut, Jarosław Piątek, Sandra Cytacka, Joanna Dowejko, Julia Zacharczuk, Jan Ambroziak,et al.
MDPI AG
A paper dedicated to the identification of a Polish soldier from the 1st Armoured Division under the command of General Stanisław Maczek, who fell in 1944 in Normandy, during World War II. The remains were found at the Urville-Langannerie Polish War Cemetery. A team from the Department of Forensic Genetics at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture Heritage and Sport, exhumed the remains in order to carry out genetic identification tests. A comprehensive anthropological analysis of the heavily degraded remains was carried out, and biological samples were secured for genetic testing. The identification of Jan Dusza is the first case of restoring the identity of an active combatant from the First Armoured Division. In the case analysis, the analysis of mitochondrial DNA in highly degraded biological material proved crucial. Genetic studies decided to reject the original historical hypothesis No. I at their preliminary stage. Regarding hypothesis No. II, a comprehensive genetic analysis of mitochondrial and autosomal DNA was carried out. Comparative material was obtained from the alleged victim’s sister. Thanks to the analysis of kinship in the maternal line based on the mtDNA haplotype, it was possible to establish that the remains belong to Jan Dusza, who served in the Podhale Rifle Battalion, part of the Polish 1st Armoured Division. The research was co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Heritage and National Culture.
Dagmara Lisman, Joanna Drath, Iwona Teul, Grażyna Zielińska, Maria Szargut, Joanna Dowejko, Sandra Cytacka, Jarosław Piątek, Jan Ambroziak, Grzegorz Śliżewski,et al.
Frontiers Media SA
The paper presents the process of identifying an unnamed soldier of the Polish armed forces in the west, whose remains were found in a nameless grave at the municipal cemetery in Le Crotoy in France. The Polish Genetic Database of Victims of Totalitarianism team carried out the research in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. A comprehensive analysis of autosomal and Y-STR markers was performed. Historical, anthropological, and forensic examinations of the remains were also carried out. The items found with the remains were also examined. Identification based on DNA analysis made it possible to restore the identity of the Polish pilot who died on 11 March 1943 near the French coast, F/O Tadeusz Stabrowski. The airman regained his name in 2018, he was about 26 years old at the time of his death and left behind a grieving wife and son in the United Kingdom. The success of identifying the NN remains was guaranteed by the appointment of an interdisciplinary team consisting of specialists in archaeology, anthropology, history, forensic medicine and forensic genetics. The analysis of historical sources allowed to determine 4 missing airmen whose remains could have been buried in the cemetery in Le Crotoy. An interesting aspect of the research was the cooperation with history enthusiasts and fans of Polish aviation, thanks to which it was finally possible to narrow down the group of pilots sought and reach the family of Tadeusz Stabrowski, who submitted comparative material for research. This is the first case of establishing the identity of a Polish pilot killed in France. Many institutions have been involved in the project, including Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (MDiKN), which partially funded the research.
M. Jastrzębska, D. Lisman, A. Szelepajlo, S. Olędzki, K. Chełstowski, Jeremy Simon Clark and A. Siennicka
Antiplatelet therapy resistance against acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and/or clopidogrel in coronary heart disease (CHD) is common with diabetes mellitus. One factor might involve platelet receptor ITGB3 gene polymorphism. We aimed to assess resistance together with platelet reactivity parameters, the polymorphism, plus diabetes type 2 coexistence. The study included 185 patients with CHD, including 58 diabetics, aged 62.3 ± 8.2 years. Patients were treated long-term with ASA, plus clopidogrel, both 75 mg/d. Platelet aggregation was measured with arachidonic acid (ASPI test; ASA-response assessment) or ADP (ADP test; clopidogrel-response assessment). Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and fibrinogen concentrations were measured and ITGB3 PIA1>A2 variants identified. Increases in PLT, glucose and SBP were demonstrated with dual resistance or to clopidogrel. Regardless of response, diabetics (versus non-diabetics) had elevated platelet aggregation with the ADP test (P = 0.0198), higher TXB2 (P = 0.0501), BMI (P = 0.0003) and SBP (P = 0.0627). ITGB3 PIA1/A1 homozygotes had higher platelet aggregation with the ASPI test (P = 0.0513), and fibrinogen concentrations (P = 0.0133), relative to A2 allele carriers. Significant associations of diabetes with clopidogrel resistance (P = 0.0011) and PIA1/A1 homozygotes with ASA resistance (P = 0.0518) were found. Higher concentrations of TXB2 (P = 0.0223) and higher SBP (P = 0.0063) were found with diabetes (versus non-diabetic) in PIA1/A1 homozygotes. We concluded that diabetes with CHD weakens response to antiplatelet drugs, especially to clopidogrel; and hyperglycaemia, hypertension and obesity might also play an important role. Diabetics' resistance to ASA is associated with increased platelet reactivity, perhaps related to the more frequent ITGB3 PIA1 allele and increased TXB2 generation. The PIA1 allele may be a potential factor for aspirin resistance with elevated fibrinogen concentration.