title: Trichophyton mentagrophytes perforates hair of adult corpses in the gaseous period.
abstract: Despite the substantial literature on mycology, there are still limited reports of the interaction between fungi and human hosts in the postmortem period. Thus, the main goal of this study was to investigate the in vitro perforation test using Trichophyton mentagrophytes on hair from adult corpses in the postmortem period (gaseous period). The protocol was carried out with positive (prepubescent children's hair) and negative controls (healthy adult hair) as well. One strain of Trichophyton rubrum was also used as a negative perforation control. Perforations were found in all the hair samples from corpses and prepubescent children after 12–14 days exposure to T. mentagrophytes and were absent in the hair samples of healthy adults. Furthermore, hair perforation was not observed with T. rubrum. Our preliminary findings suggest the use of T. mentagrophytes as a potential marker of the death interval in forensic science.
authors.affiliation: Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato Evando M
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: José Júlio C
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sidrim
authors.forename: Rossana de A
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: Erica P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.forename: Marcos Fabio G
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Raimunda Sâmia N
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Brilhante
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006197:Hair / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000302:isolation & purification*