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Zhang FY, Wang LL, Zeng K, Dong WW, Yuan HY, Ma XY, Wang ZW, Zhao Y, Zhao R, Guan DW. A fundamental study on postmortem submersion interval estimation by metabolomics analyzing of gastrocnemius muscle from submersed rat models in freshwater. Int J Legal Med 2024:10.1007/s00414-024-03258-4. [PMID: 38802694 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03258-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
In forensic practice, determining the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) and cause-of-death of cadavers in aquatic ecosystems has always been challenging task. Traditional approaches are not yet able to address these issues effectively and adequately. Our previous study proposed novel models to predict the PMSI and cause-of-death based on metabolites of blood from rats immersed in freshwater. However, with the advance of putrefaction, it is hardly to obtain blood samples beyond 3 days postmortem. To further assess the feasibility of PMSI estimation and drowning diagnosis in the later postmortem phase, gastrocnemius, the more degradation-resistant tissue, was collected from drowned rats and postmortem submersion model in freshwater immediately after death, and at 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, and 10 days postmortem respectively. Then the samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate the dynamic changes of the metabolites. A total of 924 metabolites were identified. Similar chronological changes of gastrocnemius metabolites were observed in the drowning and postmortem submersion groups. The difference in metabolic profiles between drowning and postmortem submersion groups was only evident in the initial 1 day postmortem, which was faded as the PMSI extension. Nineteen metabolites representing temporally-dynamic patterns were selected as biomarkers for PMSI estimation. A regression model was built based on these biomarkers with random forest algorithm, which yielded a mean absolute error (± SE) of 5.856 (± 1.296) h on validation samples from an independent experiment. These findings added to our knowledge of chronological changes in muscle metabolites from submerged vertebrate remains during decomposition, which provided a new perspective for PMSI estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China
| | - Lin-Lin Wang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China
| | - Kuo Zeng
- Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Wen Dong
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China
| | - Hui-Ya Yuan
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China
| | - Xing-Yu Ma
- Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China
| | - Zi-Wei Wang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China.
- PreventionKey Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China.
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China.
| | - Da-Wei Guan
- Department of Forensic Pathology, China Medical University School of Forensic Medicine, Shenyang, China.
- Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Forensic Bio-evidence Science, Shenyang, China.
- Collaborative Laboratory of Intelligentized Forensic Science, Shenyang, China.
- Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China.
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Zhang FY, Wang LL, Dong WW, Zhang M, Tash D, Li XJ, Du SK, Yuan HM, Zhao R, Guan DW. A preliminary study on early postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) estimation and cause-of-death discrimination based on nontargeted metabolomics and machine learning algorithms. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:941-954. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02783-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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MicroRNAs: An Update of Applications in Forensic Science. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 11:diagnostics11010032. [PMID: 33375374 PMCID: PMC7823886 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs containing 18–24 nucleotides that are involved in the regulation of many biochemical mechanisms in the human body. The level of miRNAs in body fluids and tissues increases because of altered pathophysiological mechanisms, thus they are employed as biomarkers for various diseases and conditions. In recent years, miRNAs obtained a great interest in many fields of forensic medicine given their stability and specificity. Several specific miRNAs have been studied in body fluid identification, in wound vitality in time of death determination, in drowning, in the anti-doping field, and other forensic fields. However, the major problems are (1) lack of universal protocols for diagnostic expression testing and (2) low reproducibility of independent studies. This review is an update on the application of these molecular markers in forensic biology.
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Proteomics in Deaths by Drowning: Diagnostic Efficacy of Apolipoprotein A1 and α-1Antitrypsin, Pilot Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10100747. [PMID: 32987960 PMCID: PMC7650832 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10100747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Drowning is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The pathophysiology of drowning is complex and, sometimes, interpretation of the circumstances of death in the autopsy becomes the main source of information in its diagnosis. New advances in medical research, such as proteomics, especially in forensic pathology, are still in the development. We proposed to investigate the application of Mass Spectrometry-based technologies, to identify differentially expressed proteins that may act as potential biomarkers in the postmortem diagnosis of drowning. We performed a pilot proteomic experiment with the inclusion of two drowned and two control forensic cases. After applying restrictive parameters, we identified apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and α-1 antitrypsin as differentially expressed between the two diagnostic groups. A validation experiment, with the determination of both proteins in 25 forensic cases (16 drowned and 9 controls) was performed, and we corroborated ApoA1 higher values in the drowning group, whereas α-1 antitrypsin showed lower levels. After adjusting by confounder factors, both remained as predictive independent factors for diagnosis of drowning (p = 0.010 and p = 0.022, respectively). We constructed ROC curves for biomarkers’ levels attending at the origin of death and established an ApoA1 cut-off point of 100 mg/dL. Correct classification based on the diagnosis criteria was reached for 73.9% of the cases in a discriminant analysis. We propose apolipoprotein A1 (with our cutoff value for correct classification) and α-1 antitrypsin as valuable biomarkers of drowning. Our study, based on forensic cases, reveals our proteomic approach as a new complementary tool in the forensic diagnosis of drowning and, perhaps, in clinical future implications in drowned patients. However, this is a pilot approach, and future studies are necessary to consolidate our promising preliminary data.
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Girela-López E, Beltran-Aroca CM, Jimena I, Pérez-Jorge P, Ramos-Medina V, Ruz-Caracuel I, Gill JR, Peña-Amaro J. Structural abnormalities in the human diaphragm in drowning and hanging deaths: preliminary results. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2020; 16:265-271. [PMID: 32172482 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-020-00235-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Previous experiments in rats have indicated that there are histological changes in skeletal muscle in drowning deaths; these changes include muscle fibers that contain ragged red fibers (RRF). The purpose of this study was to examine whether these changes also occur in humans. METHODS Histologic and histochemical examinations of three muscles (diaphragm, pectoralis, and psoas) were performed on 24 cadavers with three different causes of death: 8 drowning, 8 hanging, and 8 sudden cardiac disease. Muscle samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, MGT, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-tetrazolium reductase, succinate dehydrogenase, ATPase, and acid phosphatase via standard staining procedures. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences in the detection of RRFs in these cohorts. Additionally, several other cytoarchitectural changes (whorled and core-like fibers) were observed in the diaphragm in the drowning cohort and to a lesser extent in the hangings. These structural abnormalities were not observed in the sudden cardiac disease deaths, thus suggesting a common mechanism for the production of these muscular changes that is not shared in the cardiac death group. The mechanism is most likely intense hypoxia and mechanical trauma of the respiratory muscles in the setting of active blood circulation with intense muscle contraction. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirmed that there are histological changes in the diaphragm in drownings and, to a lesser extent, in hangings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloy Girela-López
- Sección de Medicina Legal y Forense, Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad de Córdoba, Avda Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Cristina M Beltran-Aroca
- Sección de Medicina Legal y Forense, Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad de Córdoba, Avda Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Jimena
- Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Sección de Histología, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Pablo Pérez-Jorge
- Sección de Patología Forense, Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses de Córdoba, 14011, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Valentin Ramos-Medina
- Sección de Patología Forense, Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel
- Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Sección de Histología, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - James R Gill
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Farmington, CT, 06032, USA
| | - Jose Peña-Amaro
- Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Sección de Histología, Universidad de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
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Jian J, Wan L, Shao Y, Zou D, Huang P, Wang Z, Liu N, Chen Y. Postmortem chest computed tomography for the diagnosis of drowning: a feasibility study. Forensic Sci Res 2019; 6:152-158. [PMID: 34377573 PMCID: PMC8330748 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2018.1557386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
It may be difficult to distinguish the cause of death in drowning cases without specific findings. The aim of this study was to explore the forensic value of thoracic postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) using routine images and three-dimensional (3D) image reconstructions. The imaging data of PMCT examinations of six drowning cadavers, aged 21–54 years, were analyzed. Twelve victims of sudden death from coronary artery disease (CAD) were chosen as a control group. After 3D bilateral lung images were reconstructed using image processing software, an interactive medical image control system was used to measure and analyze parameters including lung volume, lung volume ratio, mean CT value of the whole lung, and lung CT value distribution curves. Lung volume and lung volume ratio were used to assess the shape changes of the lung. Lung CT value distribution curves showed the corresponding number of pixels of the different CT values in the lung image. Lung volume was not significantly larger in drowning cases (mean 2 958 cm3) than in controls (mean 2 342 cm3). Lung volume ratio values in the drowning group (mean 0.3156) were greater than those in the control group (mean 0.2763); (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the drowning and control group in the mean CT value of the whole lung. There were differences between lung CT value distribution curves in drowning victims and controls, with drowning victims showing a single peak and CAD cases showing a bimodal distribution. Thoracic PMCT is helpful for the forensic medical diagnosis of drowning. Lung volume ratio and lung CT value distribution are potential indicators to distinguish between drowning and CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqi Jian
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lei Wan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Shao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Donghua Zou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuoqun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ningguo Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Yijiu Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai, China
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