The temporal degradation of bone collagen: A histochemical approach.
As forensic anthropologists are currently unable to estimate reliably and quantitatively the postmortem interval (PMI) of skeletonized remains, the current study was conducted to determine if degradation of bone collagen over time could be quantified using sirius red/fast green staining, and whether the degradation would occur at a predictive rate such that it may be used to estimate the PMI of skeletonized individuals. Resin embedded 200-300μm cross-sections of pig (Sus scrofa) long bones with known provenience and PMIs ranging from fresh to 12 months were stained using a histochemical reaction which differentially stains collagenous (Co) and non-collagenous (NCo) proteins. Spectrophotometry was used to determine the concentration of Co and NCo proteins in each bone section, after which the ratio of these proteins was calculated. The results of this study revealed a significant decline in the ratios of Co/NCo protein concentrations over the time period studied (p<0.001). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation between the ratios of Co/NCo protein concentrations and time (r=-0.563, p<0.0001) was observed. Despite a significant correlation, the moderate r-value obtained suggests that, at present, this method is useful primarily for detecting and quantifying the degradation of Co and NCo proteins in bones. Future studies that include shorter time intervals and environmental factors, such as soil pH, temperature, and hydrology may prove to be critical for using this method for PMI estimation.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, W-701, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
Amelia
A
Boaks
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, W-701, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
Donald
D
Siwek
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, W-701, Boston, MA 02118, United States. Electronic address: farzad@bu.edu.
Farzad
F
Mortazavi
D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D023421:Models, Animal; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013552:Swine
D003094:Collagen
Bone diagenesis; Bone histology; Collagen degradation; Forensic anthropology; Forensic science; Postmortem interval