Lattes Crust Method
Definition
Classical direct agglutination. A crumb of the dried crust is teased into a drop of known antiserum on a slide. Leone Lattes, Turin, 1915.
- Technique type
- Direct agglutination test
- Sample form
- Crumb of dried bloodstain crust
- Originator
- Leone Lattes
- Origin location and year
- Turin, 1915
Common questions
Why was the Lattes crust method historically significant for bloodstain analysis?+
It was one of the first practical techniques allowing ABO blood group typing directly from a dried crust recovered at a crime scene, extending forensic serology beyond liquid blood samples and enabling group determination from stains found on evidence.
Has the Lattes crust method been superseded in modern casework?+
Yes, DNA profiling now provides far greater discriminating power than ABO grouping and has replaced Lattes' method as the primary individualisation technique, though the historical technique remains a foundational reference point in forensic serology.
Related terms
- Absorption-Elution
- A technique for detecting antigens on dried red cell debris. Specific antiserum is absorbed onto the stain; if the antigen is present,...
- Absorption-Inhibition
- A known volume of antiserum is exposed to the stain; the residual unbound antibody is then titrated against indicator cells. A drop...
- Agglutination
- Clumping of red cells that occurs when antibodies in serum bind to incompatible antigens on the cell surface, cross-linking cells into visible...
- Antiserum
- Serum collected from an immunised animal containing antibodies directed against a specific antigen or group of antigens. In species identification, antiserum raised...
- Mixed Agglutination
- A microscopy-based technique in which indicator cells form rosette aggregates around antigen-bearing stain material via antibody bridges. Positive results are read as...
- Secretor Status
- A genetic trait that determines whether a person expresses their ABO blood group antigens in secreted body fluids such as saliva, semen,...
- Sensitivity Threshold
- The smallest stain on which a technique still gives a reliable read. The key axis for choosing between Lattes, inhibition, elution and...