title: Renal markers cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in postmortem samples.
abstract: Renal markers may provide valuable information for cause of death (CoD) investigation when assessing the influence of impaired kidney function. A commonly used marker, creatinine (Cr), increases due to kidney injury and is known to be reasonably stable in postmortem (PM) samples. More sensitive markers are needed, as the increase of serum Cr level only occurs after relatively severe renal damage. We evaluated two markers, cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), in addition to Cr. To the best of our knowledge this was the first study to investigate cystatin C and NGAL in a postmortem (PM) context.
  
  
  
  Cr, cystatin C, and NGAL were measured from PM blood in 39 autopsy cases. NGAL was also measured from urine in 16 cases. Cystatin C and NGAL were analyzed using ELISA, Cr measurements were performed with Jaffe method. Correlations of these markers were evaluated.
  
  
  
  Both, blood cystatin C and NGAL, levels showed significant correlation with Cr (p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). Cystatin C and NGAL in blood are promising markers for further studies with PM samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 40, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. terhi.keltanen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Terhi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keltanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 40, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna-Mari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Walta
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 40, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 40, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sajantila
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 40, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindroos
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D055316:Cystatin C / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D055316:Cystatin C; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D003404:Creatinine
keywords: Creatinine; Cystatin C; NGAL; Postmortem