Vitreous humor fructosamine concentrations in the autopsy diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
In clinical practice, biochemical markers, particularly serum glucose levels are used to diagnose diabetes mellitus. However, at autopsy this marker is of no value due to the substantial and capricious fluctuations in glucose levels after death. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the postmortem determination of fructosamine in vitreous humor for confirming the presence of antemortem hyperglycemia. This was a study of 92 cadavers with a mean age of 60.05 years (SD 17.73) and a mean postmortem interval of 17.02 h (SD 9.76, range 2-58 h). Cases were assigned to two diagnostic groups according to the antemortem diagnosis of diabetes mellitus based on the patients' medical records. In vitreous humor statistically significant differences were found in glucose and fructosamine concentrations between the two diagnostic groups, the highest values being obtained in the group of subjects with a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
Osuna
E
E
Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Murcia, E-30100 Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
García-Víllora
A
A
Pérez-Cárceles
M D
MD
Conejero
J
J
Abenza
J M
JM
Martínez
P
P
Luna
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019270:Fructosamine / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D019270:Fructosamine