Immunohistochemistry of pulmonary surfactant apoprotein A in forensic autopsy: reassessment in relation to the causes of death

To reassess the immunohistochemical distribution of pulmonary surfactant apoprotein A (SP-A) in relation to the causes of death, 282 forensic autopsy cases were reviewed. The most intense and dense granular immunostaining of intra-alveolar SP-A was observed in the hyaline membrane syndrome from various traumas, protracted death from drowning, and perinatal aspiration of amniotic fluid. Similar granular staining pattern was found in fatal poisoning by a muscle relaxant and organophosphate pesticides. An evident increase of intra-alveolar granular staining was noted in most fatalities from mechanical asphyxia and drowning, and some cases of fire death. SP-A staining was usually very weak or sparse in alcohol intoxication, poisoning by hypnotics and also carbon monoxide poisoning. These findings suggest that the amount of intra-alveolar granular SP-A staining may be a possible indicator of severity and duration of respiratory distress (agony) from peripheral (non-central nervous system) origin and alveolar damage.     

Fatal poisoning from Nicotiana glauca leaves: identification of anabasine by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry

Death of a worker occurred after ingestion of unknown amounts of Nicotiana glauca G leaves. The leaves were cooked after having been mistakenly considered to be spices of a type which grow in Thailand. After ingestion, two Thai workers collapsed, one with asystolia. Resuscitation efforts were successful only for one of the victims. A GC/MS method was used for the identification of anabasine as the main constituent in the leaves, food extract, blood, and the urine of the deceased. Lacking a standard, it was necessary to interpret the GC/MS spectrum to identify anabasine and establish its presence.     

Pulmonary surfactant-associated protein A levels in cadaveric sera with reference to the cause of death

Pulmonary surfactant-associated protein A (SP-A) is an exclusively lung specific protein, and is considered to leak into the blood stream in alveolar septal damage. In this study we examined the serum SP-A level in forensic autopsy materials using an enzyme immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies to assess the postmortem level in relation to the cause and mode of death. Although a gradual postmortem degradation should be taken into consideration, topological relationship of serum level seemed to be fairly stable (arterial> or =venous blood in most cases), indicating no evident influence of postmortem diffusion. Significant elevation of serum SP-A (76.7-250 ng/ml in left heart blood) was observed in hyaline membrane diseases from various causes independent of the postmortem intervals (<30 h). However, mean SP-A levels in postmortem heart blood were usually low in asphyxia including hanging, strangulation and choking (left, 25.5 ng/ml; right, 22.3 ng/ml), polytrauma (left, 13.1 ng/ml; right, 9.0 ng/ml) and stab wound to the neck (left, 34.1 ng/ml; right, 29.4 ng/ml). Prominent elevation was noted in a case of fatal strangulation with complication of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, and also in some deaths due to drowning, burns in fires, blunt and gunshot chest injuries. These findings indicated that postmortem elevation of serum SP-A levels was associated with alveolar septal damage due to inflammation, mechanical and physical stresses, which caused leakage of SP-A into the bloodstream.     

大鼠闭合性脑损伤后血清髓鞘碱性蛋白研究

用ＥＬＩＳＡ双抗体夹心方法研究了大鼠闭合性弥漫性脑损伤后,血清髓鞘碱性蛋白（ＭＢＰ）含量的时序变化。正常大鼠血清中ＭＢＰ为６．１６３３±１．５３０１ｎｇ／ｍｌ（Ｘ±Ｓ）。伤后立即死亡组大鼠的血清ＭＢＰ为１１．３８１８±２．６５７４ｎｇ／ｍｌ,伤后１５ｍｉｎ,为１０．８３１９±２．３１３５ｎｇ／ｍｌ,此血清高ＭＢＰ水平一直持续到伤后３天。伤后第４天和第５天,血清ＭＢＰ基本恢复到正常水平。立即死亡组、伤后１５ｍｉｎ组和伤后３天之内各组的ＭＢＰ水平与正常组和伤后第４天和第５天的比较,Ｐ＜０．０１。认为可进一步探讨将血清ＭＢＰ含量的检测,作为脑震荡性脑损伤的辅助生化诊断指标之一     

肺动脉栓塞猝死的法医病理学检验

对５０例肺动脉栓塞猝死案例分析,结果显示：引起肺动脉栓塞猝死的主要原因为创伤（４２％）,心脏疾病（３２％）,外科手术（２０％）等。血栓栓子多来源于下肢静脉（８０％）;其次为心腔内附壁血栓（２０％）。发生猝死高峰季节为１０～１２月;低峰季节为４～６月。猝死场所多见于医院内。最后提出了该病的法医学鉴定注意事项