A method for HLA typing of cultured fibroblasts derived from abdominal skin was developed and applied for personal identification of cadavers. Successful results were obtained using the conventional NIH HLA class Ⅰ typing method for lymphocytes after a slight modification, where the cultured fibroblasts were pre-incubated for 1-2 h in PRMI medium adjusted to pH 8.0 before cytotoxicity test. Thus assigned HLA types of fibroblasts showed a good concordance with those of lymphocytes derived from the same donor, indicating that the modified method is well suited to practical use. From 12 forensic autopsy cases where the postmortem periods were 7-96 h, the utility of the modified method was examined. The HLA class Ⅰ types of the cultured fibroblasts obtained from abdominal skin or other tissue were clearly assigned, showing the usefulness of this method in forensic practice. The HLA class Ⅱ type of fibroblasts was identified by DNA typing method using allele specific oligonucleotide probes. This "Cultured Fibroblast method" is very useful for accurate personal identification
