Forensic science international
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Various heart diseases present with sudden death; however, it is difficult to interpret the severity of or difference in respective preexisting and terminal cardiac dysfunction based on conventional morphology. The present study investigated the cardiac pathophysiology employing quantitative mRNA measurement of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) in the myocardium as markers of cardiac strain, using autopsy materials consisting of acute ischemic heart disease (AIHD, n=40) with/without the pathology of apparent myocardial necrosis (n=19/21), recurrent myocardial infarction (RMI, n=19), chronic congestive heart disease (CHD, n=11) and right ventricular cardiomyopathy (RVC, n=5), as well as hemopericardium (HP, n=11) due to myocardial infarction (n=5) and aortic rupture (n=6), and acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE, n=5). Cardiac death groups showed higher ANP and/or BNP mRNA expressions in the left ventricle than acute fatal bleeding (sharp instrumental injury; n=15) and/or mechanical asphyxiation (strangulation; n=10). ⋯ HP cases had lower BNP mRNA expression in the right ventricular wall, but PTE showed lower ANP and BNP mRNA expressions in the left ventricular wall; however, these mRNA expressions at other sites were similar to those of AIHD. CHD presented findings similar to those of AIHD, but the pericardial BNP level was significantly increased. These observations indicate characteristic molecular biological responses of myocardial natriuretic peptides in individual heart diseases and suggest the possible application of molecular pathology to demonstrate cardiac dysfunction even after death.
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Urine ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is considered as a specific marker of recent ethanol consumption. We describe false-positive DRI(®) EIA EtG enzyme immunoassay results caused by propyl glucuronides in urine after using a propanol-based hand sanitizer. ⋯ The widespread use of propanol-containing products such as hand sanitizers may lead to sufficient uptake of propyl alcohols and excretion of significant amounts of propyl glucuronides to yield false-positive DRI(®) EIA EtG screening results. Thus, positive EtG immunoassay results have to be controlled by mass-spectrometry, in clinical cases at least if ethanol intake is denied by the patient.
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In complex shooting incidents, it is not always clear which bullet hit or eventually killed the victim and who fired it. The examination of traces of foreign material embedded in or adhered to bullets provides critical information in the trajectory reconstruction of spent bullets. Such a reconstruction can have considerable legal implications because it can prove that it was not someone's intention to kill. ⋯ The combination of sliding and flattening action leaves a trace of the bullet's surface material in the form of tiny droplets and other evidence of liquid formation. In general, softer LRN bullets are more susceptible to the transfer of material than harder FMJ bullets. For perforation, trace materials are preferentially deposited in a ring-shaped area around the (flattened or unflattened) nose of the bullet.
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Here we report the case of a 70-year-old woman who committed suicide by cyanide poisoning. During resuscitation cares, she underwent an antidote treatment by hydroxocobalamin. Postmortem investigations showed marked bright pink discolouration of organs and fluids, and a lethal cyanide blood concentration of 43 mg/L was detected by toxicological investigation. ⋯ However, its main drawback is to interfere with measurements of many routine biochemical parameters. We have tested the potential influence of this molecule in some routine postmortem investigations. The results are discussed.
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Autopsies can give valuable information about the cause of death, and represent an important tool for obtaining valid cause of death statistics. In particular, they may shed light on the circumstances of death in ambiguous and criminal cases. To address the need for information on current autopsy practices, forensic autopsy rates in two counties in Central Norway over the period 2007-2009 were assessed. ⋯ Mean BAC in alcohol positive forensic autopsy cases was 1.7‰ (median 1.6‰, range 0.29-4.1‰). The average number of substances detected in toxicology positive cases was 2.6 (median 2, range 1-10). The by far most frequently detected classes of substances were (1) benzodiazepines, (2) opioids and (3) alcohol.