Identification of menstrual blood by the simultaneous determination of FDP-D dimer and myoglobin contents

FDP-D dimer (D-D) and myoglobin concentrations in peripheral, menstrual and postmortem bloodstains were determined. The mean plasma concentrations of D-D in peripheral, menstrual and postmortem blood were 0.047, 102 and 220 μg/ml and those of myoglobin were 0.028, 0.066 and 727 μg/ml respectively. The mean D-D concentration in menstrual bloodstains was about 200 times higher than in peripheral bloodstains. The myoglobin contents in both bloodstains were similar. The mean myoglobin content in postmortem bloodstains was about 4000 times higher than in menstrual bloodstains. By the simultaneous determination of D-D and myoglobin contents, blood or bloodstains containing large amounts of D-D and only a small amount of myoglobin could be identified as menstrual blood.