Increased heat shock protein 70 gene expression in the brains of cocaine-related fatalities may be reflective of postdrug survival and intervention rather than excited delirium.
Cocaine-related fatalities can pose forensic challenges, particularly when accompanied by excited delirium (ED) syndrome and interventions by law enforcement and medical personnel. A recent report concluded that elevated heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression in autopsy brain samples constitutes a reliable forensic biomarker for the identification of ED as a cause of death. The present study quantified the abundance of both HSPA1A and HSPA1B gene (HSP70-encoding) transcripts in midbrain specimens from a series of cocaine-related fatalities and matched drug-free control subjects. HSP70 expression was increased significantly in cocaine abusers as a group compared to control subjects, irrespective of the presence or absence of ED. Furthermore, elevated HSP70 expression was predictive of a period of survival between cocaine use and death that included medical and/or police intervention. The present data do not support the assertion that HSP70 expression is a reliable brain biomarker for identifying ED as a cause of death.
Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Magen M
MM
Johnson
James A
JA
David
Sharon K
SK
Michelhaugh
Carl J
CJ
Schmidt
Michael J
MJ
Bannon
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D015870:Gene Expression; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; C490786:HSPA1A protein, human; C525621:HSPA1B protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger