Cardiac troponin T (cTn T) and the postmortem diagnosis of sudden death.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of the increase of postmortem cardiac troponin T (cTn T) in acute disease-related deaths.


METHODS
Peripheral venous blood was sampled from 39 autopsies performed. Thirty nonhemolyzed specimens were considered in the final analysis (n = 30).Only the calculation of the cTn T was performed using the Roche Diagnostics Elecsys 2010 Immunoassay System. The high limit and the cutoff are 25 ng/mL. Deaths were divided into 2 groups, according to sudden cardiac deaths (group 1, n = 15) and non-cardiac-related deaths without resuscitation (group 2, n = 15).


RESULTS
All the cases with visual myocardial infarction had elevated concentrations of cTn T. The difference of the postmortem cTn T concentrations between resuscitated and nonresuscitated is nonsignificant. In the non-cardiac-related deaths, the elevated concentrations of cTn T were only noted in all cases of electrocution.


CONCLUSIONS
In clinical practice, several biochemical markers are used for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Because of its extreme specificity for myocardial damage, cTn T and cardiac troponin I (cTn I) are frequently used. The results of these assays could then be used to facilitate selection for cases that may be released following histologic examinations.
Khalifa
A Ben
AB
Department of Forensic Medicine, University Hospital of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. anisbenkhalifa@yahoo.fr
Najjar
M
M
Addad
F
F
Turki
E
E
Mghirbi
T
T
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D003645:Death, Sudden; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D020107:Troponin T