Comparative evaluation of postmortem serum concentrations of neopterin and C-reactive protein.
Publication/Presentation Date
8-6-2008
Abstract
The cellular immune response is accompanied by the release of neopterin. The level of neopterin in serum is increased in patients suffering from viral infections, autoimmune diseases, systemic inflammation, allograft rejection and malignant diseases, while that of C-reactive protein (CRP) is known to rise during inflammatory diseases and traumas. To investigate postmortem neopterin and CRP concentrations with regard to the cause of death, we examined cardiac and peripheral blood samples in 474 autopsy cases without advanced decomposition (0-96 years of age, 343 males and 131 females), 2.8 h to 3 days (median, 18.0 h) after death. Survival time was 0.1 h to 5 months (median, 3.0 h) for traumatic death, and 0.1-1, 440 h (median, 2.5 h) for natural death. In autopsied subjects, neopterin concentrations were higher than the clinical reference, independent of the time after death, and depended on the survival time. In cases of acute and subacute death due to trauma, the neopterin level in right heart blood was mildly to moderately elevated (about 50-200 nmol/l) except for sharp instrument injury, whereas the CRP concentration usually remained low (/dl). However, a moderate rise in the CRP level (around 1-10 mg/dl) was observed in fatal cases of hypothermia (cold exposure). Markedly elevated serum CRP and neopterin levels (>10 mg/dl and >500 nmol/l, respectively) were detected in cases of delayed death due to trauma involving systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and of fatal bacterial infections. For sepsis, the serum CRP level was markedly elevated but the neopterin level was low in some cases. Fatal viral infections usually resulted in a marked elevation in the serum neopterin level (>500 nmol/l) with a mild to moderate rise in the CRP level. Combined analyses of neopterin and CRP may be useful to investigate viral infections and delayed traumatic death involving SIRS to support pathological findings.
Volume
179
Issue
2-3
First Page
135
Last Page
143
ISSN
1872-6283
Published In/Presented At
Ishikawa, T., Hamel, M., Zhu, B. L., Li, D. R., Zhao, D., Michiue, T., & Maeda, H. (2008). Comparative evaluation of postmortem serum concentrations of neopterin and C-reactive protein. Forensic science international, 179(2-3), 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.04.021
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
18541395
Department(s)
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Document Type
Article