title: Catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites in vitreous humor in hypothermia cases.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites in vitreous humor samples in identifying antemortem cold exposure and fatal hypothermia in the forensic casework.
  
  
  
  A total of 80 autopsy cases (40 hypothermia fatalities and 40 cases in which hypothermia as the main or contributory cause of death was excluded) were selected for this study. Catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites were measured in urine and vitreous humor samples collected at autopsy.
  
  
  
  Urine catecholamine and their O-methylated metabolite concentrations were significantly higher in hypothermia-related deaths. On the other hand, measurements in vitreous humor samples did not reveal statistically significant differences between hypothermia-related deaths and controls.
  
  
  
  Globally considered, our findings seem to suggest that, contrary to urine catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites, vitreous levels of these compounds appear to be of limited value in characterizing human antemortem stress reactions due to cold exposure and can hardly be used in the forensic setting to support the diagnosis of hypothermia.
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 4 chemin de la Vulliette, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hervet
authors.affiliation: Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teresiński
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, Sokolská 581, 500 05, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hejna
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 4 chemin de la Vulliette, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emilienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Descloux
authors.affiliation: Service de Biomédecine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grouzmann
authors.affiliation: University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, 4 chemin de la Vulliette, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland. cristian.palmiere@chuv.ch.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palmiere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008676:Metanephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009647:Normetanephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D009647:Normetanephrine; D008676:Metanephrine; C001746:3-methoxytyramine; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine
keywords: Catecholamines; Hypothermia; Metanephrines; Postmortem biochemistry; Vitreous humor