Delimitation of the time of death by immunohistochemical detection of thyroglobulin

To improve the possibilities to delimit the time of death after longer laytime it was examined if this is possible by immunohistochemical detection of thyroglobulin. The results show that in our examination material the colloid and the follicular cells of the thyroid glands of up to 5-day-old corpses produce a positive immunoreaction towards thyroglobulin in all cases whereas none of the corpses older than 13 days show such a reaction. This means that in case of a negative immunoreaction the time of death can be assumed to lie more than 6 days before the autopsy. The fact that a negative immunoreaction occurs consistently after 13 days leads to the conclusion that when thyroglobulin has been stained in a specimen, the death of the respective person must lie a maximum of 12 days earlier, whereby these time-limits may change in considerably different surrounding conditions.     

Delimitation of the time of death by immunohistochemical detection of calcitonin.

To improve the possibilities of delimitating the time of death after longer laytime it was examined if this is possible by immunohistochemical detection of calcitonin. The results show that in our examination material the c-cells of the thyroid glands of up to 4-day-old corpses produce a positive immunoreaction towards calcitonin in all cases whereas none of the corpses older than 13 days show such a reaction. This means that in the case of a negative immunoreaction the time of death can be assumed to lie >4 days before the autopsy. The fact that a negative immunoreaction occurred consistently after 13 days leads to the conclusion that when calcitonin has been stained in a specimen, the death of the respective person must lie a maximum of 12 days earlier, whereby these time-limits may change in considerably different surrounding conditions.     

Delimitation of the time of death by immunohistochemical detection of insulin in pancreatic beta-cells

To improve the possibilities to delimitate the time of death after longer laytime, it was examined if this is possible by immunohistochemical insulin detection. The results show that in our examination material, the pancreatic beta-cells of up to 12-day-old corpses produce a positive immunoreaction towards insulin in all cases, whereas none of the corpses older than 30 days show such a reaction. This means that in case of a negative immunoreaction, the time of death can be assumed to lie more than 12 days before the autopsy. The fact that a negative immunoreaction occurs consistently after 30 days leads to the conclusion that when insulin has been stained in a specimen, the death of the respective person must lie a maximum of 29 days earlier, whereby these time-limits may change in considerably different surrounding conditions.     

Delimitation of the time of death by immunohistochemical detection of glucagon in pancreatic alpha-cells.

To improve the possibilities of delimitating the time of death after longer laytime it was examined if this is possible by immunohistochemical glucagon detection. The results show that in our examination material the pancreatic alpha-cells of up to 6-day-old corpses produce a positive immunoreaction towards glucagon in all cases whereas none of the corpses older than 14 days show such a reaction. This means that in the case of a negative immunoreaction the time of death can be assumed to lie more than 7 days before the autopsy. The fact that a negative immunoreaction occurs consistently after 14 days leads to the conclusion that when glucagon has been stained in a specimen, the death of the respective person must lie a maximum of 13 days earlier, whereby under markedly different conditions to the ones of the cases here examined, a negative immunoreaction could happen earlier and a positive immunoreaction even later.     

References for determining the time of death by potassium in vitreous humor

The different statements concerning the slope and intercept of the regression line and the 95% limits of confidence are the reason that potassium in vitreous humor is not used (at least in Germany) as an aid in estimating the time of death. The relationship between the concentration of potassium and the time of death is mainly influenced by antemortem electrolyte imbalances caused by disease and/or duration of terminal episode. The influence of terminal episode is best identified by its duration (Adelson et al., J. Forensic Sci., 8 (1963) 503–514). In order to have a method suitable for every case and to be as precise as possible we looked therefore for parameters in vitreous humor which were stable postmortem and indicating antemortem electrolyte imbalance. Urea is such a parameter, being stable postmortem (Coe, Am. J. Clin. Pathol., 51 (1969) 741–750) and useful as a marker of antemortem electrolyte imbalance. Our investigations on potassium in vitreous humor, including sudden and hospital deaths after chronic lingering disease, revealed 95% limits of confidence of ±34 h up to 120 h postmortem. Reviewing only cases with urea less than 100 mg/dl the 95% limits of confidence could be reduced to ±22 h. Considering the duration of terminal episode (<6 h) the precision was ±20 h. In this way our modified procedure is suitable for every case with the resulting precision of estimation being determined only by the duration of the terminal episode and urea concentration.     

The estimation of the time of death by non-protein nitrogen (NPN) in cadaveric materials. Report 3: Multiple regression analysis of NPN values in human cadaveric materials

The non-protein nitrogen (NPN) values in brain, lung, liver, and kidney in 79 autopsy cases were determined according to the Micro-Kjeldahl Nessler method. Multiple regression analysis of the data was performed with every possible combination of the time of death and the NPN values in the tissues.The brain NPN showed the best correlation with the postmortem time (r = 0.673), whereas the other correlations were less satisfactory (lung r = 0.422, liver r = 0.397, and kidney r = 0.379, respectively). However, multiple combinations of each tissue NPN value proved to give better correlation coefficients and smaller errors of the estimated time of death.The practical significance of the tissue NPN as a postmortem biochemical indicator of the time of death and the multiple regression analysis of such indicators were extensively discussed in this report.     

根据蝇类蛆长度变化系数θ推断尸体死亡时间

目的通过动物实验,探寻嗜尸蝇类蛆的生长长度与尸体死亡时间之间的关系,从而为判断尸体死亡时间提供参考依据。方法将实验用犬击毙后观察尸蝇来到犬尸上的时间、产卵时间、卵期、蛆增长到规定长度所需时间。结果证实蛆虫长度与尸体死亡时间存在正相关性,并进而推算出相关系数θ,从而推导出了一个通过蛆虫长度计算尸体死亡时间的公式。结论通过实际案例的验证,通过该公式可以计算出尸体的大致死亡时间。     

冠心病猝死心肌mcl-1蛋白检测及其意义

目的观察冠心病猝死(SCD)心肌mcl-1蛋白产物,探讨其免疫组化检测及其对SCD诊断的意义。方法运用免疫组织化学SABC法,对46例SCD和40例非猝死心肌(有冠心病和无冠心病)中mcl-1蛋白产物进行检测和观察,并比较其差异。结果(1)自症状出现至死亡,时间超过30min的SCD(36例),其心肌组织均出现mcl-1蛋白阳性染色;(2)自症状出现至死亡,时间短于30min的SCD(10例),其心肌组织mcl-1蛋白呈弱阳性染色;(3)冠心病非猝死样本(20例),4例心肌出现微弱的mcl-1蛋白阳性染色,无冠心病非猝死样本(20例)几乎没有出现阳性染色。结论心肌mcl-1蛋白的免疫组化检测可诊断自症状出现至死亡时间超过30min的SCD。     

脑温死亡时间测定仪的研制

目的研制脑温死亡时间测定仪。方法根据动物和尸体实验了解脑温下降的规律,并选择针状温度传感器,确定测温入径途径。结果针状传感器的优点是:快速敏感、准确性高、对组织破坏少、插入方便。尽管这种方法仍有误差,但它与现在法医学上常用的方法相比误差已减少了许多。结论所研制的死亡时间测定仪具有体积小,便于携带、探头灵敏,可以迅速方便地探测死者的脑温,并能直接推断死亡时间,避免了某些人为的因素造成的误差。     

尸体甲状腺球蛋白降解及其与死亡时间的关系

目的探讨尸体甲状腺球蛋白降解程度与死亡时间(PM I)的关系。方法死后21d内尸体的甲状腺组织,经免疫组化(EPOS)法染色,观察甲状腺球蛋白的染色反应;对63例阳性染色的甲状腺组织(PM I≤5d)进行计算机图像分析,并对所得图像参数的数据进行统计学分析。结果PM I≤5d的甲状腺组织,甲状腺腺泡上皮细胞胞浆及甲状腺胶质中均显示了不同程度的免疫反应阳性;PM I超过12d,免疫反应阴性;经图像分析及统计学处理,其积分光密度、分布密度和目标面积与PM I之间的确定系数(R2)分别达0.9794,0.9732及0.9884。结论尸体甲状腺组织的甲状腺球蛋白降解程度随PM I不同而变化,二者呈现较强的相关性。     

The biochemistry of vitreous humour. A comparative study of the potassium, sodium and urate concentrations in the eyes at identical time intervals after death

Analysis of the vitreous humour from an individual's eyes collected at the same time since death showed variation between the eyes in the concentration of potassium, sodium and/or urate. This previously unreported finding would limit the use of measuring these electrolytes in determining the time of death.     

脑组织中ATP含量变化与死亡时间关系的初步研究

本文报道用生物发光法测定不同死亡时间狗脑组织中ATP含量的变化．结果表明：随着死亡时间的延长，脑组织中ATP浓度逐渐下降，这对法医在实际检案工作中推断死亡时间有一定的应用价值。     

Comment on the Marshall-Hoare-Henssge model for estimating the time since death

Timewise temperature variations in objects that are undergoing unsteady heating or cooling is a commonly encountered problem in the thermal sciences. One particular area of application is the cooling of a body post-death and the use of body temperatures to estimate the time of death. Here, a new approach based on the theory of transient heat transfer is formulated to allow efficient calculation of unsteady conduction problems. The theoretically derived unsteady temperature models are compared with experimentally based correlations (the Marshall-Hoare-Henssge model). The two approaches are found to agree very well. With this new theoretically based approach, timewise temperature variation can be calculated for both large and small Biot number transient problems.     

Cytoskeleton immunohistochemical study of early ischemic myocardium

Previous studies on cytoskeletal changes of in vitro and in vivo animal models of ischemic myocardium have suggested the possibility of using alterations in cytoskeleton proteins as an early marker for the post-mortem diagnosis of myocardial ischemia in cases of sudden death due to coronary artery disease (CAD). In the present study, using the technique of ABC-immunohistochemistry, we examine the changes of three cytoskeletal proteins: vinculin, desmin and α-actinin in human myocardial samples taken from 14 cases of CAD sudden death and 13 cases of non-CAD death. Results of these examinations are compared with immunohistochemical changes of myoglobin and histochemical staining of hematoxylin and eosin and phosphotungstic acid, and Masson trichrome. Patchy and extensive loss of the three cytoskeletal proteins was demonstrated in the myocardium of victims who died 1 h or later following the onset of symptoms of ischemic myocardium. The pattern of cytoskeleton change is equivocal in the cases of CAD who died less than 1 h after the onset of symptoms and of the cases of non-CAD. In these cases, no significant histological change was observed. With less non-specific background changes and stronger positive staining, immunohistochemical staining of the three cytoskeletal proteins is more reliable than myoglobin, which has attracted the attention of many pathologists searching for anatomic evidence of ischemic myocardium in coronary artery disease.     

肾上腺结核猝死的法医学鉴定

通过两例肾上腺结核猝死的案例观察发现：肾上腺和肾上腺以外器官的结核病变均表现为不典型的慢性陈旧性的病理学特征。提示在法医学鉴定中,对患过结核病和“不明死因”猝死尸体剖验时肾上腺的组织病理学检验尤为重要     

青壮年猝死综合征心肌心钠素免疫组化研究

研究青壮年猝死综合征病理形态学诊断依据。应用免疫组化LSAB,观察10例SMDS及10例非心性死亡对照组死者ANP变化情况。结果发现,SMDS中7例ANP呈阴性,3例呈弱阳性;10例非心性死亡ANP呈强阳性。研究表明,SMDS死者心房内ANP数量减少是导致死亡的重要因素,可通过ANP免疫组化观察找到SMDS死亡的形态学依据。     

心肌病猝死者心肌连接蛋白43的免疫组化染色观察

目的探讨心肌病猝死者心肌连接蛋白43(Cx43)染色变化及其与猝死的关系。方法运用免疫组化和图像分析技术,分2组(A和B组)检测20例心肌病猝死者心室肌的Cx43染色情况;并与14例非心肌病猝死者(C组)的检测结果对照。结果扩张型心肌病(DCM)猝死组(A组,11例)心肌Cx43染色明显减弱,阳性着色斑点大小不等、深浅不一、分布不均,有的呈散在颗粒状;其它类型的心肌病猝死组(B组,9例)亦见类似变化;非心肌病猝死的对照组(C组,14例)未见明显变化。定量检测并经统计分析发现,Cx43蛋白染色阳性的面积,A组与B组和C组的差异有非常显著性意义(P<0.01),B组与C组的差异无显著性意义(P>0.05);而平均光密度各组之间的差异无显著性意义(P>0.05)。结论心肌病猝死者心肌Cx43免疫组化染色明显减弱,尤以扩张型心肌病明显;心肌病猝死者心肌Cx43变化可能与其猝死有一定关系。     

VEGF免疫组化染色在冠心病猝死诊断中的应用

运用免疫组化SABC法和图像分析与统计学处理系统 ,对16例冠心病猝死和15例非冠心病猝死对照组尸检心脏标本心肌局部血管内皮生长因子 (VEGF)的表达进行了研究。结果 :16例冠心病猝心脏标本心肌梗死局部心肌均有VEGF的阳性表达 ,尤以心肌梗死灶边缘为甚 ,阳性表达率为100 %。15例非冠心病猝死对照组心脏标本仅有2例心肌局部散在有VEGF弱阳性表达 ,其余为阴性。将免疫组化染色结果进行图像定量分析与统计学处理 ,冠心病猝死组阳性指数为13.68±2.73 ,对照组为2.05±0.84 ,两组结果有极显著性差异 (P<0.01)。本研究结果提示 ,VEGF免疫组化染色可望为冠心病猝死的死后诊断提供一个比较客观的病理形态学依据     

图像分析技术在测定细胞DNA含量推断死亡时间中的若干问题

图像分析技术为法医学早期死亡时间推断提供了一种新的方法,但目前仍有许多局限,本文将重点讨论标本的取材及固定、涂片或切片的选择、细胞群聚和重叠的处理、参考细胞核及门槛问题,以及个体差异对图像分析的影响及相应的解决方法。