title: Changes in colour of different human tissues as a marker of age.
abstract: This study deals with age estimation based on colour changes of human tissue from the intervertebral discs, Achilles tendon and rib cartilage. The investigated colour changes are the result of the accumulation of non-enzymatic browning products in the tissue. Samples of excised tissues were photographed with a digital camera and the pictures were evaluated using the image analysis processor Lucia G 4.11 processor. The values of the intensities of the RGB channels (MeanRed, Mean Green, MeanBlue) and parameters from the IHS system (MeanSaturation, HueTypical, HueVariation, BrightVariation and MeanBrightness) were evaluated. The results confirm that colour changes of some tissues depend on ageing and are a good tool for age estimation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Teaching Hospital in Prague, Studnickova 4, 128 00, Praha 2, Czech Republic. pilin@lf1.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pilin
authors.forename: Frantisek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pudil
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bencko
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology*; D003116:Color; D005260:Female; D044707:Forensic Sciences / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012272:Ribs
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced