title: Immunohistochemical expression of fibronectin and C5b-9 in the myocardium in cases of fatal ethanol intoxication.
abstract: Data from the literature indicate that the pulmonary pressure rises in cases of ethanol intake. We have recently proposed a method for the detection of prevalent right ventricular damage in cases of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism and pulmonary fat embolism. In the present study, we compared the expression of the antibodies against fibronectin and C5b-9 in 19 cases of lethal alcohol intoxications (study group: 5 females, 14 males, mean age 46 years, mean blood ethanol concentration 3.5‰, min. 2.11‰, max. 5.31‰) to a group of 26 cases of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism (PE; group 2: 16 females, 10 males, mean age 56 years). Moreover, a group of 15 cases of hanging (group 3: 5 females, 10 males, mean age 50 years) as well as a group of 18 cases of myocardial infarction (group 4: 5 females, 13 males, mean age 61 years) were investigated as examples of typical cardiac damage due to global hypoxia during agony and ischemic damage, respectively. The results of this study show that fresh cardiac damage can be detected at both ventricles in cases of fatal ethanol intoxication with the antibody against fibronectin. The damage is prevalently localised at the right ventricle (RV), as already observed in cases of acute pulmonary hypertension determining right heart failure. The degree of damage at the RV in cases of ethanol intoxications is lower than the one observed in cases of fatal PE.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149 Münster, Germany. Tony.Fracasso@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fracasso
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wieseler
authors.forename: Simon David
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jentgens
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sauerland
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmeling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000473:pathology*; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000473:pathology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex; D005353:Fibronectins; D000431:Ethanol