title: Measurement of β-tryptase in postmortem serum in cardiac deaths.
abstract: Mast cells are well known for their role in hypersensitivity reactions. However, there is increasing evidence that they might also participate in both developing and weakening atherosclerotic plaques, potentially causing plaque instability. Some clinical studies have therefore postulated the existence of relationships between blood β-tryptase levels and acute coronary syndromes. In this study, we investigated postmortem serum β-tryptase levels in a series of 90 autopsy cases with various degrees of coronary atherosclerosis that had undergone medico-legal investigations. β-tryptase concentrations in these cases were compared to levels observed in 6 fatal anaphylaxis cases following contrast material administration. Postmortem serum β-tryptase concentrations in the anaphylactic deaths ranged from 146 to 979 ng/ml. In 9 out of 90 cases of cardiac deaths, β-tryptase levels were higher than clinical reference values of 11.4 ng/ml and ranged from 21 to 65 ng/ml. These results indicate that increased postmortem serum β-tryptase levels can be observed, though not systematically, in cardiac deaths with varying degrees of coronary atherosclerosis disease, thereby suggesting that mast cell activation in this disease cannot be ascertained by postmortem serum β-tryptase measurements.
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: cristian.palmiere@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palmiere
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Comment
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vilarino
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mangin
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Services, Pathology and Legal Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reggiani Bonetti
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology*; D053802:Tryptases / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053802:Tryptases
keywords: Acute coronary syndromes; Coronary thrombosis; Mast cell; Myocardial infarction; Sudden death; Tryptase