title: Preliminary results on the postmortem measurement of 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate in liver homogenates.
abstract: The concentrations of 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) in blood and two liver samples were retrospectively examined in a series of medicolegal autopsies. These cases included diabetic ketoacidosis, nondiabetic individuals presenting moderate to severe decompositional changes and nondiabetic medicolegal cases privy of decompositional changes. 3HB concentrations in liver sample homogenates correlate well with blood values in all examined groups. Additionally, decompositional changes were not associated with increases in blood and liver 3HB levels. These results suggest that 3HB can be reliably measured in liver homogenates when blood is not available at autopsy. Furthermore, they suggest that metabolic disturbances potentially leading or contributing to death may be objectified through liver 3HB determination even in decomposed bodies.
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 21, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. cristian.palmiere@chuv.ch
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palmiere
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mangin
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid