The Application of Flow Cytometry as a Rapid and Sensitive Screening Method to Detect Contamination of Vitreous Humor Samples and Avoid Miscalculation of the Postmortem Interval |
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| Authors: | Cristina Cordeiro MSc Rafael Seoane PhD Ana Camba MSc Elena Lendoiro MSc María S Rodríguez‐Calvo PhD Duarte N Vieira PhD José I Muñoz‐Barús PhD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences – Centre Branch, Coimbra, 3000‐213 Portugal;2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004‐504 Portugal;3. CENCIFOR (Centre of Forensic Sciences) – Foundation for Science and Technology, Coimbra, 3004‐504 Portugal;4. Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15892 Spain;5. Institute of Forensic Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Spain;6. Department of Pathology and Forensic Science, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15892 Spain;7. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilh?, 6200‐506 Portugal;8. Additional information and reprint requests:;9. José I. Mu?oz Barús, Ph.D.;10. Institute of Forensic Sciences;11. University of Santiago de Compostela;12. 15782 Santiago de Compostela;13. Spain;14. E‐mail: |
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| Abstract: | Research into maximizing the speed, precision, and reliability of estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) has been a recurring object of investigation and methodologies based on the vitreous humor (VH) have provided good results. However, contamination from causes not readily apparent, such as blood, can occur, and thus lead not only to an erroneous estimation of PMI, but also interfere with the correct identification of other substances in the VH. We have developed a flow cytometry method which quantifies blood contamination and is able to detect erythrocytes in 1:750,000 dilution of contaminated VH which affects the results of hypoxanthine. It is an improvement on the previous more complex mass spectrometry method, being faster, more sensitive, and readily available. As such, it could be proposed for the rapid screening of appropriate samples by detecting and eliminating blood contaminated samples from PMI estimation. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science vitreous humor blood contamination flow cytometry postmortem interval miscalculation |
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