title: Characteristics of human infant primary fibroblast cultures from Achilles tendons removed post-mortem.
abstract: Primary cell cultures were investigated as a tool for molecular diagnostics in a forensic setting. Fibroblast cultures had been established from human Achilles tendon resected at autopsies, from cases of sudden infant death syndrome and control infants who died in traumatic events (n=41). After isolation of primary cultures cells were stored at -135°C, and re-established up to 15 years later for experimental intervention. Growth characteristics in cultures were evaluated in relation to the age of the donor, the post mortem interval before sampling, and the storage interval of cells before entry into the study. High interpersonal variation in growth rates and cell doubling time was seen, but no statistically significant differences were found with increasing age of the donor (mean 19 weeks), length of post-mortem interval prior to sampling (6-100 h), or increase in years of storage. Fibroblast cultures established from post-mortem tissue are renewable sources of biological material; they can be the foundation for genetic, metabolic and other functional studies and thus constitute a valuable tool for molecular and pathophysiological investigations in biomedical and forensic sciences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: mcr@forensic.au.dk.
authors.forename: Marianne Cathrine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: tjc@hum-gen.au.dk.
authors.forename: Thomas Juhl
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Corydon
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: Jah@forensic.au.dk.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Pathology, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: cbak@ki.au.dk.
authors.forename: Christina Bak
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: stinne.schmidt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Stinne P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: nig@ki.au.dk.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gregersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: Jb@forensic.au.dk.
authors.forename: Jytte
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banner
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013398:Sudden Infant Death; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Fibroblast culture; Fibroblast proliferation post mortem; Infant death