title: Analyses of cardiac blood cells and serum proteins with regard to cause of death in forensic autopsy cases.
abstract: To investigate hematological and serum protein profiles of cadaveric heart blood with regard to the cause of death, serial forensic autopsy cases (n=308, >18 years of age, within 48 h postmortem) were examined. Red blood cells (Rbc), hemoglobin (Hb), platelets (Plt), white blood cells (Wbc), total protein (TP) and albumin (Alb) were examined in bilateral cardiac blood. Blood cell counts, collected after turning the bodies at autopsy, approximated to the clinical values. Postmortem changes were not significant for these markers. In non-head blunt injury cases, Rbc counts, Hb, TP and Alb levels in bilateral cardiac blood were lower in subacute deaths (survival time, 1-12 h) than in acute deaths (survival time <1 h). Wbc counts of left cardiac blood were significantly higher for non-head injury than for head injury in subacute deaths. In fire fatality cases, Plt count was markedly higher with an automated hematology analyzer than by using a blood smear test, suggesting Rbc fragmentation caused by deep burns, while increases in Wbc count and decreases in Alb levels were seen for subacute deaths. For asphyxiation, Rbc count, Hb, TP and Alb levels in bilateral cardiac blood were higher than other groups, and TP and Alb levels in the right cardiac blood were higher for hanging than for strangulation. These findings suggest that analyses of blood cells and proteins are useful for investigating the cause of death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Asahi-machi 1-4-3, Abeno, 545-8585 Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Takaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michiue
authors.forename: Dong-Ri
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chiemi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakoda
authors.forename: Bao-Li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D006454:Hemoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin