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Background: Vitreous humor (VH) is relatively well-protected fluid from postmortem degredation and contamination. That is why it has high utility in forensic pathology and toxicology. Although there is no detailed studies focusing on the serum chemistry parameters. As a routine application, potassium analysis in the detection of postmortem interval and in some forensic laboratories serum chemistry parameters like glucose, creatinine, and keton bodies put into practice to illuminate the reason of hospital deaths. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the time-course changes in serum chemistry parameters in VH. Methods: VH and blood samples were collected from a total of 35 autopsies (Female 11,32.4%, and Male 24,67.6%; Mean age:38.92±17.3), conducted at Ankara Branch of Council of Forensic Medicine morgue between December 2011 to May 2012. After centrifugation of samples, the supernatant of the fluid were analyzed for sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, urea, creatinine, glucose, phosphorus, albumin, cholesterol, and total protein by using an autoanalyzer Siemens Advia-2400 on the days 0,15 and 30 after the autopsies. Results: In VH samples, levels of sodium, glucose, magnesium, potassium, and chloride on the day 30 were found to be increased significantly when compared to the levels on the first day. The changes in calcium, creatinin, urea, albumin, cholesterol and protein levels by the time-course were not statistically significant. The correlation analyses between blood and VH samples showed a good relationship on sodium, potasium, chloride, calcium, and creatinin levels. Conclusion: The results clearly indicate that some chemistry parameters could be analysed to evaluate the postmortem interval or the manner of death, especially hospital deaths. This is a preliminary study and requires further studies to illuminate the effect of time-course in term of longer time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giriş-Amaç: Postmortem kontaminasyon ve çürümeye karşı oldukça iyi korunan göziçi sıvısı (GİS) adli patoloji ve toksikoloji alanında postmortem araştırmalarda kullanılabilmektedir. Buna rağmen GİS serumunda yapılmış detaylı biyokimyasal çalışmalar az sayıdadır. Rutin uygulamada yaygın olarak postmortem potasyum analizi ve bazı adli laboratuvarlarda hastane ölüm nedenlerinin araştırılması amacıyla glukoz, kreatinin ve keton cisimleri gibi kimyasal parametreler pratik uygulamaya dahil edilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı postmortem sürede GİS serum değerlerindeki değişimleri araştırmaktır. Metod-materyal: GİS ve kan örnekleri 2011 Aralık ayı ile 2012 Mayıs ayı arasında Ankara Adli Tıp Grup Başkanlığı morgunda yapılan 35 otopsi vakalarından elde edildi. Kadın ve erkek sayıları sırasıyla 11(%32.4), 24(%67.6) ve ortalama yaş 38.92±17.3 idi. Elde edilen GİS ve periferal kan örnekleri santrifüj edildikten sonra üçe bölünerek ilk kısımdan 0., 15. ve 30. günlerde sodyum, potasyum, klor, kalsiyum, magnezyum, üre, kreatinin, glukoz, fosfor, albumin, kolesterol ve total protein analizleri Siemens Advia-2400 otoanalizörü ile yapıldı. Bulgular: Postmortem 30. gün GİS sodyum, glukoz, fosfor, magnezyum, potasyum ve klor değerleri 0. güne göre anlamlı ölçüde yükselmişti. Kalsiyum, kreatinin, üre, albumin, kolesterol ve protein değerlerinde zamana bağlı anlamlı farklılıklara rastlanmadı. Kan serumu ve GİS serumundaki sodyum, potasyum, klor, kalsiyum ve kreatinin değerleri arasında iyi bir korelasyonun olduğu gözlendi. Sonuç: Bu sonuçlara göre bazı biyokimyasal parametreler postmortem sürenin ve ölüm sebebinin -özellikle de hastane ölümlerinin- tespiti amacıyla rutin laboratuvar testleri arasında yer alabilir. Bir ön çalışma niteliğinde olan bu değerlendirme zamanın etkisini araştırmak ve anlayabilmek açısından daha kapsamlı ve daha uzun postmortem süreleri içeren çalışmalara ihtiyaç duymaktadır. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitreous humour (VH) is a quite stable and well-protected biological fluid from post-mortem degradation and contamination, making it a usable specimen in forensic pathology. We aimed to analyse the biochemical markers in VH stored for one month at –20°C and to compare them with those of serum samples of the same deceased people. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time this has been reported in the literature. Serum levels of sodium, potassium and calcium, phosphorous and VH levels of calcium, creatinine, and urea were not statistically different between fresh and stored samples. There was no significant difference in VH urea and creatinine levels whereas serum levels were significantly decreased by the 15th and 30th days. In conclusion, urea and creatinine levels in VH showed adequate stability after one month of storage at –20°C, whereas large variations were seen in the stability of inorganic components such as Na, K, Mg, Cl, and P. Our results indicate the validity of using post-mortem VH samples for urea and creatinine but not for VH stored at –20°C for a limited time frame. The differences in sample handling before being stored at –20°C may introduce bias on some components of VH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To compare prospectively maternal acceptance of fetal and neonatal virtuopsy with that of conventional autopsy and to determine the confidence with which magnetic resonance (MR) virtuopsy can be used to diagnose normality/abnormality of various fetal anatomical structures. Methods MR and/or computed tomography virtuopsy and conventional autopsy were offered to 96 women (102 fetuses/neonates) following termination of pregnancy (TOP), intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) or neonatal death. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the effect on maternal acceptance of virtuopsy and/or conventional autopsy of the age of the mother, gestational age at TOP or delivery after IUFD, order of pregnancy, parity, religion, type of caregiver obtaining consent and reason for death. When parents consented to both MR virtuopsy and conventional autopsy of fetuses ≥ 20 weeks of gestation or neonates, the confidence with which MR virtuopsy could be used to diagnose normality/abnormality of various anatomical structures was determined on a scale in which conventional autopsy was considered gold standard. On autopsy we classified fetuses/neonates as having either 'normal' or 'abnormal' anatomical structures; these groups were analyzed separately. At virtuopsy, we indicated confidence of diagnosis of normality/abnormality of every anatomical structure in each of these two groups defined at autopsy, using a scale from 0 (definitely abnormal) to 100 (definitely normal). Results Of the 96 women, 99% ( n = 95) consented to virtuopsy and 61.5% ( n = 59) to both conventional autopsy and virtuopsy; i.e. 36 (37.5%) consented to virtuopsy alone. Maternal acceptance of conventional autopsy was independently positively related to singleton pregnancy, non-Moslem mother, earlier gestation at TOP or delivery afer IUFD and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist obtaining consent. Thirty-three fetuses ≥ 20 weeks of gestation had both conventional autopsy and MR virtuopsy, of which 19 had a full autopsy including the brain. In fetuses with normal anatomical structures at conventional autopsy, MR virtuopsy was associated with high diagnostic confidence (scores > 80) for the brain, skeleton, thoracic organs except the heart, abdominal organs except the pancreas, ureters, bladder and genitals. In fetuses with abnormal anatomical structures at autopsy, MR virtuopsy detected the anomalies with high confidence (scores < 20) for these same anatomical structures. However, in three cases, virtuopsy diagnosed brain anomalies additional to those observed at conventional autopsy. Conclusion MR virtuopsy is accepted by nearly all mothers while conventional autopsy is accepted by about two-thirds of mothers, in whom refusal depends mainly on factors over which we have no control. Although conventional autopsy remains the gold standard, the high acceptance of virtuopsy makes it an acceptable alternative when the former is declined. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]