title: Postmortem serotonin levels in cerebrospinal and pericardial fluids with regard to the cause of death in medicolegal autopsy.
abstract: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) and a smooth muscle regulator in the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. The present study investigated postmortem 5-HT levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and pericardial fluid (PCF) with regard to the cause of death in serial medicolegal autopsy cases within 48 h postmortem (n=351, >20 years of age). CSF and PCF 5-HT slightly increased during the postmortem period (r=0.298 and 0.253, respectively, p<0.001), showing no gender-related difference. The CSF level decreased depending on the subject age (r=0.497, p<0.001); however, the CSF and PCF levels showed similar findings with regard to the cause of death: these levels were significantly higher for sedative-hypnotic drug intoxication and hyperthermia (heat stroke), but lower for blunt head injury and hypothermia (cold exposure); the cutoff value was estimated as 25.5 ng/ml and 5.0 ng/ml, respectively. For other cause of death groups, some cases showed a higher level. These findings suggest elevations in CSF and PCF 5-HT levels due to systemic toxic or hyperthermic neuronal dysfunction, and systemic stress responses to trauma without CNS involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Abeno, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Takaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Junpei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michiue
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bao-li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012701:Serotonin / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin