A fatal case of hypothermia associated with hemorrhages of the pectoralis minor, intercostal, and iliopsoas muscles

In a morning in January, a male in his early sixties was found dead in an outdoor parking area. The minimum temperature during the night before he was found dead was estimated to be 4.0 degrees C. Autopsy revealed the pinkness of hypostasis, slight abrasions and bruises on the face and the extremities, collapse of the lungs, and slight gastric submucosal hemorrhage. Histologic examination revealed compact arrangement of cardiac muscle fibers and cytoplasmic vacuolation in the adenohypophysis. Toxicologic examination demonstrated hyperacetonemia (51.2 microg/mL). Ubiquitin, one of the stress proteins that are induced by several stimuli, including severe cold, was detected in several organs. We concluded that the cause of his death was lethal hypothermia. In addition, hemorrhages were observed in the subfascial and/or intramuscular parts of the pectoralis minor, first intercostal, and iliopsoas muscles. Although it has been reported that iliopsoas muscle hemorrhage can result from hypothermia, there have been few reports concerning hypothermia-associated hemorrhages of the pectoralis minor and/or intercostal muscles. We presumed that intense shivering and/or effort ventilation during the course of lethal hypothermia might cause these muscle hemorrhages.     

Thymus and adrenal glands in elder abuse

Endogenous glucocorticoid-induced thymic involution is generally considered to be an important finding for determining child abuse. The present study investigated the weight of the thymus and the adrenal glands in elder abuse cases to identify a potential marker for elder abuse. There was no significant difference in the thymus and the adrenal weight between elder abuse and control cases. However, the elder abuse cases in which the duration of abuse was less than 3 months showed a significant increase in the adrenal weight in comparison to control cases. In such cases, histopathological findings showed a loss of intracellular light granules from the zona fasciculata, which might indicate a loss of cholesterol due to the overproduction of glucocorticoid. These results might imply that the elderly, who were maltreated for less than 3 months, were in the early phase of a long-term stress state during which stress-induced overproduction of glucocorticoid was observed in adrenal glands as indicated by Selye. Our results suggest that an increase in adrenal weight may be a potential marker for elder abuse of relatively short periods, especially less than a few months.     

Asia in the Era of Globalization and Prospect for Japan-China Relations

<正>Introduction I am honored to have this opportunity to address the distinguished experts of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies,SIIS on the issue of Asia in the Era of Globalization and Prospect for Japan-China Relations.I wish to thank Dr.Yang Jiemian,President     

Sudden death due to right ventricular cardiomyopathy

A 21-year-old man died suddenly at a small party. He had had no clinical signs of cardiac disease except for a slightly abnormal electrocardiogram (occasional premature ventricular contractions) since he was 15 years of age. Autopsy examination revealed cardiomegaly (469 g), with right atrial and ventricular dilatation. The right ventricular myocardium was massively replaced with adipose tissue, and there was one isolated fatty lesion in the right side of the ventricular septum. There were no congenital malformations such as a septal defect or valvular deformity. Histologically, muscular fibers remaining in the right ventricular wall showed neither degenerative nor inflammatory changes. An isolated lesion of the ventricular septum consisted of almost complete replacement of the muscle bundles with adipose tissue. Such a pathologic condition has recently been termed right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Postmortem examination is necessary to make a definite diagnosis of the disease, because in most adult cases of the disease, sudden death occurs before there have been any critical signs.     

A demonstration of spermatozoa on vaginal swabs after complete destruction of the vaginal cell deposits

The proteolytic enzyme, proteinase K, has been found to destroy all vaginal cells though it does not have the same effect on spermatozoa. In cases of sexual offenses, in which a swab has been used to wipe out the vagina, the female cells and their nuclei on that swab may also contain the heads of spermatozoa. After as short a time as 30 min of proteinase K treatment, the spermatozoa that had separated from the enzymatically destroyed vaginal cells were recovered. This proteinase destruction furnishes some spermatozoa with deformed heads and a somewhat greater number of isolated tails though a sufficient number of spermatozoan heads still remain for a reliable diagnosis. For detection of spermatozoa from a vaginal swab after proteinase K pretreatment, the heads of the spermatozoa are distinctly stained by Oppitz's method. Further, on prior treatment with proteinase K, the ABO blood grouping of the spermatozoa could also be determined on the vaginal swab by using the absorption-elution technique. The resistance of the spermatozoa to proteinase K is the basis for this method.     

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of DNA extracted from postmortem muscle tissues

DNA extracted from 33 postmortem muscle specimens was analyzed using MZ 1.3, a hypervariable minisatellite probe, as well as locus-specific minisatellite probes (g3, MS1 and MS43). After storage at -25 degrees C for 10 months, DNA from all the samples was partially (approximately 21% of total DNA) degraded even when autopsy was performed 1 day postmortem. However, more than 90% of DNA samples up to at least 3 days postmortem were suitable to obtain good restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns. When small strips of specimen were stored for 8 days at room temperature in moist chambers, approximately 42% of total DNA was degraded. Only 30% of these DNA samples still showed good RFLP patterns. However, no obvious relation between qualities of DNA analyzed by detection of RFLP and quantities of total and high-MW DNA became apparent. A case of familial relationship was ascertained by DNA fingerprints. Since DNA of good quality can be recovered from muscle tissues in large quantities, DNA extraction from muscle tissues and detection of RFLP patterns should be very useful for individual identification in autopsy cases.     

Detection of Lea substance in saliva stains by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-gum arabic serum

It is known that rabbit anti-gum arabic (GA) serum has cross-reactivity with Lea antigen, and that, by using this cross-reactive anti-Lea antibody, the presence of Lea antigen in red blood cells and saliva can be demonstrated with accuracy. We have devised a rapid and highly sensitive method for detecting Lea substance in human saliva by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using an anti-Lea antibody isolated from anti-GA serum by affinity chromatography on Synsorb Lea. The ELISA plate, coated with the specific anti-Lea antibody, adsorbed the Lea substance in saliva which was subsequently identified by adding enzyme labeled anti-Lea IgG in that order. The method could detect the Lea substance in Le(a+) saliva stains as small as 0.1 by 0.1 cm in size that had been stored at room temperature for three weeks and in Le(a+) saliva stains 0.7 by 0.7 cm in size that had been stored for ten years. This method seems to be useful for quantitative analyses of the Lea substance in various body fluids.     

An asthmatic death while under Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion treatment.

A 29-year-old Japanese man with bronchial asthma died while undergoing Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. The autopsy findings of the lungs were compatible with a diagnosis of severe asthma. Further, on immunohistochemical examination, hypoxic brain damage and an unusual distribution of pulmonary surfactant were found. In contrast, only minor hemorrhages in the right semispinal muscle and round-shaped bruises were seen as a result of Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. Thus, it was concluded that the man had died from a severe asthmatic attack.