Browsing by Subject "Suicidal hanging"

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    Diagnosis of vitality in skin wounds in the ligature marks resulting from suicide hanging
    (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2017-09) Giménez, M.; Martínez Díaz, F.; Pérez Cárceles, María Dolores; Osuna, E.; Nuno Vieira, D.; Luna, Aurelio; Falcón Romero, María; Legaz Pérez, Isabel; Ciencias Sociosanitarias
    Ascertaining the vital origin of skin wounds is one of the most challenging problems in forensic pathology. The forensic literature describes biomarkers and methods for differentiating vital and postmortem wounds, although no clear conclusions have been reached. The aim of this study was to characterize human vital wounds by analyzing the concentrations of metallic ions and the expression of P-selectin and cathepsin D in skin wounds in the ligature marks in a cohort of suicidal hangings for which vitality was previously demonstrated. A total of 71 skin wounds were analyzed within a postmortem interval of 19 to 36 hours. The concentration of Fe, Zn, Mg, and Ca and the expression of P-selectin and cathepsin D were analyzed together and separately. The majority of autopsied suicidal hangings were men (86%) with complete hanging mode (60.7%) in which there was a high frequency of subcutaneous injuries (78.3%). High concentrations of Ca and Mg compared with Fe and Zn were found. Ca and Zn concentrations decreased, and Fe concentration increased with the seriousness of the injury. A high percentage of moderately negative expression of both proteins was correlated with subcutaneous injury and low or medium concentrations of Fe. In conclusion, the joint study of metallic ions and proteins allows to characterize and to differentiate an injured vital wound of noninjured skin, especially when the damage in the tissue affects to the majority of the structures of the skin, but these results will need to be complemented with other biomarkers in time-controlled samples to further help in the differentiation of vital and postmortem wounds.
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    Immunohistochemistry as a tool to characterize human skin wounds of hanging marks
    (Romanian Society of Legal Medicine, 2019-03) Pérez Cárceles, María Dolores; Giménez, M.; Martínez Díaz, F.; Osuna, Eduardo; Luna, Aurelio; Legaz Pérez, Isabel; Ciencias Sociosanitarias
    Estimation of age and vitality of human skin wounds both in the living and dead is essential in forensic practice. The use of immunohistochemical parameters for the age estimation and vitality of human skin wounds remains difficult. Forensic literature describes different biomarkers and methods for the differential diagnosis of vital and post-mortem wounds, but to this day it is unclear its utility. The aim of this study was analysed wounds vital origin in a series of suicidal hangings were vitality had been demonstrated using fibronectin, cathepsin D and P-selectin, in order to discover the morphological changes that occur in a vital wound, and consequently, find useful vital injury diagnosis markers. A total of 15 human vital skin wounds from ligature marks from deaths by suicidal hanging and skin controls from same cadaver were analyzed in a postmortem interval between 19-36 hours. Fibronectine, cathepsin D and P-selectin were detected by immunohistochemistry. Our result shows a strongly fibronectin-positive reaction in basement membranes and interstitial connective tissue in all specimen of wounds of ligature mark. Granular staining pattern characteristic of cathepsin D was observed mainly in the basal layer of the epidermis in normal and wound skin. Cathepsin D analysis in ligature mark showed moderate positive and strong positive cells. A weak positive immunoreactivity P-selectin were found in vital wound compared with undamaged skin. In conclusion, our data show an increase of fibronectin and cathepsin D immunoreactivity expression and a decrease of P-selectin immunoreactivity in skin wounds from ligature marks from deaths by suicidal hanging of a postmortem interval between 19-36 hours.