16 research outputs found
Immunohistochemistry of connexin43 and zonula occludens-1 in the myocardium as markers of early ischemia in autopsy material
Immunohistochemistry of the terminal
complement complex (C5b-9) and fibronectin (FN) is
useful to detect myocardial ischemia preceding necrosis
in the postmortem diagnosis of sudden cardiac death.
The present immunohistochemical study examined
connexin43 (Cx43) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) as
markers of early myocardial ischemia in addition to the
above-mentioned markers, using forensic autopsy cases
of acute deaths due to myocardial infarction (MI, n=15)
and acute ischemic heart disease (AIHD) without
apparent myocardial necrosis (n=8), compared with
those of acute mechanical asphyxiation (As, n=24) and
drowning (D, n=10) as controls. Immunopositivities of
each marker in the myocardium were semi-quantitatively
graded by scoring. ZO-1, C5b-9 and FN were detected in
the myocardial cytoplasm, whereas Cx43 and nonphosphorylated
(np) Cx43 showed varied localizations at
the intercalated disc, in the cytoplasm and along the
lateral cell border. ZO-1 and FN showed a tendency to
be detected more intensely in MI and IHD than in As
and D. C5b-9 showed specific staining at the site of
ischemia in MI (n=10/15) and AIHD (n=6/8), while the
distribution of npCx43 was different in most cases of MI
(n=14/15) and AIHD (n=5/8), compared with As and D;
npCx43 positivity score was higher in the cytoplasm
than at the intercalated disc, indicating redistribution due
to myocardial ischemia. Such findings were detected in a
few cases of As (n=3/24). These findings suggest that
the combination of npCx43 and C5b-9 immunohistochemistry
is useful for detecting early lesions of
myocardial ischemia in sudden cardiac death
Forensic evaluation of sex estimation via measurements of adult index and ring finger lengths using postmortem computed tomography
Abstract Background Sex estimation from fragmented or isolated human bones found during excavations is imperative not only in the field of forensics but also paleoanthropology. This study investigated the possibility of sex estimation from computed tomography (CT) data for the lengths of the index and ring fingers. The scans were obtained using a multislice ECLOS-16 CT scanner (Hitachi Medical Co., Tokyo, Japan), and the images were analyzed using a SYNAPSE VINCENT volume analyzer (Fujifilm Medical Co., Tokyo, Japan). For 205 cases, the authors measured the total length of the distal, middle, and proximal phalanges (P) and of the metacarpal bones for the index and ring fingers of both hands. Right heart serum testosterone and estradiol levels in 92 cases were also measured by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and a chemiluminescence immunoassay, respectively. Result The difference in P between the index and ring fingers was significantly greater in men than in women for both hands; receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an optimal cutoff of 6.0 mm (sensitivity, 0.64 and specificity, 0.64). Blood testosterone levels were moderately correlated with this difference. Conclusion A value of 6.0 mm for the ring finger–index finger difference for the left hand distinguished men from women, and these results are affected by testosterone levels. The findings from this report in the field of forensics and paleoanthropology indicated that the CT data-assessed morphometry of the phalanges could be used as an objective index for sex estimation
Evaluation of postmortem serum calcium and magnesium levels in relation to the causes of death in forensic autopsy
Abstract There appears to be very poor investigation of postmortem serum calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) for diagnostic evidence to determine the cause of death. The aim of the present study was a comprehensive analysis of the serum levels in relation to the causes of death in routine casework. Autopsy cases (total, n = 360; 5-48 h postmortem), including blunt injury (n = 76), sharp injury (n = 29), asphyxiation (n = 42), drownings (n = 28: freshwater, n = 11; saltwater, n = 17), fire fatalities (n = 79), methamphetamine (MA) poisoning (n = 8), delayed death from traumas (n = 37), and acute myocardial infarction/ischemia (AMI, n = 61), were examined. In total cases, there was no significant postmortem time-dependent rise in serum Ca and Mg. Both Ca and Mg levels in the heart and peripheral blood were significantly higher in saltwater drowning compared with those of the other groups. In addition, a significant elevation in the Ca level was observed in freshwater drowning and fire fatalities, and in the Mg level in fatal MA intoxication and asphyxiation. Topographic analyses suggested a rise in serum Ca and Mg due to aspirated saltwater in drowning, that in serum Ca in freshwater drowning and fire fatalities of peripheral skeletal muscle origin and that in serum Mg in MA fatality and asphyxiation of myocardial and/or peripheral origin. These markers may be useful especially for diagnosis and differentiation of salt-and freshwater drownings and may be also helpful to determine the causes of death involving skeletal muscle damage, including burns and MA intoxication
Histopathological changes of the hippocampus neurons in brain injury
The glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is
known as a peculiar marker of mature astrocytes of the
central nervous system (CNS). However, we found
distinct immunopositivity to a monoclonal anti-GFAP
reagent in the hippocampus neurons in head injury
fatalities. The present study investigated the neuronal
and neuroglial GFAP-immunopositivity in the
hippocampus in a series of head injury cases, which
included acute and subacute/delayed deaths (n=17 and
n=73, respectively), and acute cardiac death (n=13),
delayed death due to multiple organ failure from nonhead injury (n=6), and pneumonia (n=9) cases were
examined as controls. GFAP-immunopositivity in the
neurons was frequently observed in CA4, CA3 and CA2
regions in cases of subacute/delayed head injury death
that showed marked brain swelling accompanied by
secondary brain stem hemorrhages, showing an inverse
relationship to that in astrocytes. These findings suggest
possible induction of GFAP or a related protein in
hippocampus neurons depending on the severity of brain
swelling following head injury