Postmortem Fluid Concentrations of Heroin Biomarkers and Their Metabolites

Only limited data exist concerning the utility of complementary specimens in heroin-related deaths. As such, this report employed a validated LC-MS-MS method to quantify 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), 6-acetylcodeine (6-AC), and their metabolites morphine and codeine in blood with (BN) and without preservative (B) and the additional unpreserved specimens of vitreous humor, urine, stomach contents, and bile from 20 postmortem cases in which heroin was the primary cause of death. The median concentration of 6-MAM in BN was 0.011 mg/L, B was 0.008 mg/L, urine was 0.186 mg/L, vitreous humor was 0.022 mg/L, stomach contents was 0.147 mg/L, and bile was 0.012 mg/L. Only one case was found to be positive for 6-AC in B (case 6, 0.002 mg/L), and the median concentration of 6-AC was 0.002 mg/L in BN, 0.012 mg/L in urine, 0.003 mg/L in vitreous humor, 0.057 mg/L in stomach contents, and 0.004 mg/L in bile. These findings present new information on the distribution of these analytes in complementary matrices and support their inclusion for accurately determining the role of heroin in opioid-related deaths.     

嗜尸性昆虫证据在案发现场的分布研究

为了明确案发现场昆虫证据的分布,为法医昆虫学现场昆虫证据收集提供借鉴,我们利用猪尸体进行模拟,对现场昆虫的分布进行了调查,重点观察了大头金蝇、丝光绿蝇、绯颜裸金蝇、厚环黑蝇、阎甲科、隐翅甲科、埋葬甲科和皮蠹科昆虫的活动情况。结果表明,昆虫标本主要分布于尸体上及现场约10米范围的地面和地下,据此我们提出了法医昆虫学现场取样规范。     

Intentional overdose of glargine insulin: Determination of the parent compound in postmortem blood by LC-HRMS

Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin analog that is converted after enzymatic cleavage of the arginine pair of the β-chain into its main metabolite M1 (21^A-Gly-insulin), which is responsible for the hypoglycemic activity. In all the overdose cases described in the literature, only M1 concentrations have been reported, whereas insulin glargine was always absent or below the limit of quantitation. In this study, we present a case of suicide of a young nurse by injection of insulin glargine in which the parent molecule was found at a toxic concentration in blood. The determination and the discrimination of insulin glargine from human insulin and other synthetic analogs in the blood specimen were performed by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (Waters XEVO G2-XS QToF) and extraction after precipitation in the presence of bovine insulin (internal standard), with a mixture of acetonitrile/methanol +1% formic acid followed by purification on solid phase extraction cartridges C18. Glargine insulin tested highly positive in the blood with a concentration of 1.06 mg/L. Due to the difficulty in obtaining a M1 pure standard, the metabolite could not be dosed. This unique presence of the parent molecule, reported for the first time, can be explained by inter-individual variability in the rate of conversion to metabolite. Intravenous injection versus subcutaneous injection can also explain the presence of insulin glargine. Finally, the dose injected may have been so high that saturation of the proteolytic enzymes responsible for conversion to M1 should have occurred.     

仵作研究评述

仵作这一角色在中国历史上的地位比较特殊。早期工作主要为往返于民间丧葬和衙门招募之间,检尸验伤逐渐成为他们的专业与职责;直至清代,仵作才正式成为衙门的吏役。随着对法医学研究的深入,仵作逐渐引起学界的重视,上个世纪法医学界试图重现中国法医学史,仵作在此领域中的重要性日益受到关注,诸多学人从官方规制的角度构建并完善了法医学中的仵作话语结构,更是对仵作向近代法医的转变给予了极大的关注。然囿于史料的缺失,完整的仵作研究情况仍不可尽知。本文拟对近年来一系列仵作研究成果进行综论,并提出推进仵作研究的若干思考。     

Radiodense bullet wipe around osseous entrance gunshot wounds

“Bullet wipe” is the material deposited by a bullet on any surface with which it comes into contact after it is fired and may contain debris from the gun barrel, including particles of primer and metal fragments from previously fired bullets. X‐ray analysis is a non‐destructive method by which traces of metallic elements can be visually detected. The analysis of osseous defects for radiodense bullet wipe (RBW) assists in determining the presence or absence of perforating gunshot wounds, especially in fragmented, skeletonized remains. The aim of our current study was to determine the frequency of RBW around entrance firearms injuries that perforated bone. We prospectively analyzed entrance gunshot wounds for RBW over a three‐year period using digital X‐ray analysis (n = 59). We retrospectively reviewed the corresponding autopsy reports to determine the frequency of RBW by biologic sex, reported ancestry, age‐at‐death, location of wound, manner of death, range of fire, bullet caliber, and presence of bullet jacket. Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test or Chi‐square test with significance levels accepted at p < 0.05. RBW was present in 66% (n = 39) of examined cases. Decedent characteristics did not significantly alter RBW distribution, including biologic sex (p = 0.75), reported ancestry (p = 0.49), and age‐at‐death (p = 0.43). Additionally, the location of the osseous entrance gunshot wound, manner of death, range of fire, and cartridge caliber did not affect RBW detection. All cases involving non‐jacketed rounds (n = 5) showed RBW (p = 0.30). To our knowledge, this study is the first to report the frequency of RBW detection from osseous entrance gunshot wounds.     

Timing and Appearance of Postmortem Root Banding in Nonhuman Mammals,

A study was undertaken using nonhuman mammal specimens to better understand environmental influences on postmortem hair root band (PMRB) formation and to see whether PMRBs would occur in nonhuman mammal hairs in a similar fashion to human hairs. Carcasses from surrounding roadways were the primary source of specimens for this study, augmented by donated deceased domestic pets. Sections of pelt from each specimen were placed in controlled environmental conditions while the remainder of the carcass was left in a secure outdoor setting. Hair samples were collected daily from outdoor and control specimens and examined for evidence of PMRBs. Several environmental factors were also recorded on a daily basis. Results demonstrate PMRBs can occur in nonhuman mammal hairs, and they have microscopic characteristics similar to human PMRBs. Factors found to correlate with PMRB formation include postmortem interval, temperature, pH, and the formation and subsequent volatilization of ammonia from the surrounding tissue.     

Fatal paradoxical air embolism diagnosed by postmortem imaging and autopsy

The recognition and visualization of an arterial gas embolism are difficult. We report a case of sudden death caused by paradoxical air embolism of coronary and cerebral arteries, diagnosed by the pre autopsy computed tomography (CT) scanning. A 54-year-old woman suddenly died after the self-removal of the jugular vein catheter. Postmortem imaging examination using CT scanning showed multiple gas embolisms in the cerebral arteries, pulmonary artery, right atrium and ventricle, left ventricle, aorta, and coronary arteries. These findings suggested that the occurrence of acute ischemia of the brain and heart caused by massive air inflow to the artery. Conventional autopsy revealed a patent foramen ovale of the heart. These results indicated that the patient died of paradoxical air embolization of the coronary and cerebral arteries through a patent foramen ovale because of right-to-left shunting. The use of postmortem imaging as an aid for conventional autopsy has proved to be of advantage in the case of gas embolism.     

Air, water, and surface bacterial contamination in a university-hospital autopsy room

Today, little is known about the bacteriological environment of the autopsy room and its potential interest for medico-legal practices. Seven hundred fifty microbiological samples were taken from surface (n = 660), air (n = 48), and water (n = 42) to evaluate it in a French University Forensic Department. Median bacterial counts were compared before and during autopsy for air samples, and before and after autopsy for surface samples, using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed ranks test. Bacterial identification relied on traditional phenotypic methods. Bacterial counts in the air were low before autopsy, increased significantly during procedure, and seemed more linked to the number of people in the room than to an important production of aerosol-containing bacteria. Despite cleaning, human fecal flora was omnipresent on surfaces, which revealed insufficient disinfection. Bacteriological sampling is an easy way to monitor cleaning practices in postmortem rooms, but chiefly a way to improve the reliability of medico-legal proofs of infectious deaths.     

家兔死后离体血液ATP含量变化与放置时间的关系

目的探讨恒温(25℃)条件下家兔死后离体血液ATP含量变化与放置时间的关系。方法健康家兔8只,空气栓塞处死后即刻取右心室血液,置于25℃恒温水浴槽中,每4h应用ATP荧光快速检测仪检测血液ATP含量,所得数据应用SPSS17.0统计学软件进行方差检验及回归分析。结果恒温(25℃)环境下,家兔死后离体血液的ATP含量,在8h内从死后即刻的2.46×10-12mol/L升至3.09×10-12mol/L,8h之后则随PMI的延长而下降,直至56h,56～72h ATP含量在0.13×10-12mol/L时趋于稳定。以Log[ATP]为因变量(y),离体放置时间为自变量(x),对死后0～56h的数据进行回归曲线分析,建立了3个推断离体时间方程,即y=-0.019x-11.359(R2=0.763)、y=0.001x2+0.016x-11.666(R2=0.962)和y=-1.281×10-5x3-0.007x-11.576(R2=0.980),其中三元回归方程的系数为0.980,曲线拟合度最好。结论家兔离体血液ATP含量变化与放置时间呈现一定的规律性,有望应用于死亡时间推断。     

组织RNA检测用于死亡时间推断的研究进展

近几年来利用RNA的降解程度来推断死亡时间已逐渐成为法医学研究热点.本文复习相关研究文献,对大鼠不同组织(脑组织、心脏组织、肝脏组织和肾组织等)中RNA在推断死亡时间的具体应用方法做出总结,归纳出不同组织中的各类RNA在推断死亡时间方面的适用范围,以及对此种方法在推断死亡时间的过程中产生的问题及可行性的解决方法.