title: Death due to crush injuries in a compactor truck: vitality assessment by immunohistochemistry.
abstract: We present a case in which the timing of injuries was requested to determine whether the death of a man found in a landfill was due to homicide or accident. The use of immunohistochemistry to detect P-selectin and E-selectin on endothelial cells of vessels in damaged skin samples, and compare them with intact skin samples, as well as the presence of lung adipose embolism provide information on the timing of the injury, thereby helping substantially to identify the dynamics of death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical, Histological, Legal Medical and Orthopaedic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. rossana.cecchi@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cecchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aromatario
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lucidi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciallella
mesh_terms: D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods; D002423:Cause of Death; D003444:Crush Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000032:analysis*; D004620:Embolism, Fat / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000473:pathology; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000032:analysis*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000473:pathology; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019040:E-Selectin; D019007:P-Selectin