title: Evaluation of Vitality in the Experimental Hanging Model of Rats by Using Immunohistochemical IL-1β Antibody Staining.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hanging is the most common suicide method in the world, and the discrimination of antemortem-postmortem hanging must be done at autopsy. The aim of this experimental study was to examine the immunohistochemical expression of IL-1β antibody at the hanging mark skin samples of rats to discriminate antemortem and postmortem hangings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 Wistar albino rats were used for this study. The groups were as follows: A-1, antemortem control group; A-2, antemortem second-hour hanging mark skin samples; A-3, antemortem 24th-hour hanging mark skin samples; A-4, antemortem 72nd-hour hanging mark skin samples; B-1, postmortem control group; and B-2, postmortem second-hour hanging mark skin samples. Interleukin-1β immunostaining was performed to all tissue samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For epidermal cells, group A-1 samples did not show IL-1β immunostaining, group A-2 samples were severely immunostained, and groups A-3 and A-4 samples' staining were slightly decreased. There was no IL-1β antibody staining in groups B-1 and B-2 samples. For adnexal cells, groups A-1 and B-1 samples did not show IL-1β immunostaining, staining of group A-2 samples was mild to severe, and groups A-3 and A-4 samples' staining were slightly decreased. Half of the group B-2 samples did not show IL-1β immunostaining. For subepidermal cells, most of the samples of groups A-1 and B-1 showed slight immunostaining, groups A-2 and B-2 samples' staining were mild to severe, and there were slight immunostaining in groups A-3 and A-4 samples. The majority of vascular structure cells did not show IL-1β immunostaining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interleukin-1β immunostaining of epidermal cells can discriminate antemortem-postmortem hangings, but vascular structure cells and subepidermal cells cannot discriminate vital hangings.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Forensic Medicine, Gulhane Military Medical Academy; †Ankara Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine; and ‡Department of Pathology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balandiz
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pehlivan
authors.forename: Ali Fuat
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Çiçek
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tuğcu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000473:pathology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008853:Microscopy; D023421:Models, Animal; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D053583:Interleukin-1beta