Analysis of OPG/RANKL axis in cardiac sudden death

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K09208
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Legal medicine
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kondo Takeshi 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 講師 (20335441)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 上野 易弘 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (30184956) ; 高橋 玄倫 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 講師 (90509100)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: OPG

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, the expression of OPG and its receptor RANK in the myocardium obtained in forensic autopsies were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The results were presented in part at the 100th Congress of the Japanese Society of Legal Medicine in Tokyo in 2016. The expressions of OPG and RANK in the myocardium were diffuse and had no relationship with the cause of death. Serum OPG concentration also had no relationship with the cause of death. The expression analysis of c-jun and TRAF6 protein expression in the myocardium showed no significant results. The expression of OPG mRNA in the myocardium was evaluated by ISH, but no significant expression was observed in the forensic samples. Although there were differences in myocardial OPG mRNA expression in cardiac and noncardiac death, interpretation of the assays of OPG protein and mRNA expression are limited because OPG is a secretory protein and degeneration of the forensic samples may have occurred.

Free Research Field

法医病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

死因究明上、診断精度の高い内因性急死の解析は重要な課題である。法医解剖における内因性急死の約半数は心臓疾患であり、その中核をなすのは虚血性心疾患であるが、法医解剖上、顕微鏡的な手法を用いても、その確定診断に難渋することが多い。本研究で扱ったOPGのような、ユビキタスかつ容易に測定できる、法医学的に有用なバイオマーカーを心臓性突然死の解析に用いることは、心臓性突然死の病態解明や治療戦略の標的、突然死の予防という点で非常に意義深い。