title: What is the best sample for determining the early postmortem period by on-the-spot flow cytometry analysis?
abstract: The level of degradation of DNA as a means for determining the time of death has been proposed as a valid adjunct to the classic thanatochronologic methods. The twofold aim of this work was to determine which organ might reveal both a correlation between the percentage of degradation of the DNA and the time lapse since death, and would be easiest to sample and yield the most reproducible results even in technically unfavorable situations such as on-the-spot investigations at the scene of death. A comparison of the spleen, blood, and liver showed that hepatic tissue best meets these specific needs because it shows a virtually linear correlation between the time elapsed since death and the level of degradation of the DNA, and it can easily be sampled at the scene of death by use of a common biopsy needle.
authors.affiliation: Section of Forensic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Public Medicine, University of Bari, Italy. forem@medicinalegale.uniba.it
authors.forename: Nunzio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Nunno
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costantinides
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cina
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rizzardi
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Nunno
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melato
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000473:pathology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004247:DNA