Postmortem serum thyroid hormones as possible markers of asphyxial death in forensic autopsy

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460876
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Legal medicine
• Research Institution: Osaka City University (2015); Tottori University (2013-2014)
• Principal Investigator: Ishikawa Takaki 大阪市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (50381984)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MICHIUE Tomomi 大阪市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 准教授 (00529240) ; MAEDA Hitoshi 大阪市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 名誉教授 (20135049)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 低酸素 / 虚血 / 頭部外傷 / 甲状腺ホルモン / 視床下部 / 下垂体 / 甲状腺 / 法医病理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study investigated postmortem serum levels of thyroid related hormone (T3, T4, Tg, and TSH) in asphyxia-related deaths. Bilateral cardiac and iliac venous blood samples of forensic autopsy cases were collected. The causes of death consisted of mechanical asphyxia, acute blunt head injury death, drowning, fire fatality, and acute cardiac death (ACD). Serum T3 and T4 were higher in mechanical asphyxia and acute blunt head injury death. With regard to asphyxia-related death, serum T4 was higher in mechanical asphyxia than in ACD, and T3 showed similar findings; however, the elevations were not significant in fire fatality or drowning. There was no difference between the causes of death and serum Tg. These findings were independent of the serum TSH level. Histology of the thyroid gland demonstrated tissue damage in mechanical asphyxia and acute blunt head injury deaths. These observations suggest a rapid increase of serum thyroid hormones due to advanced hypoxia.

Free Research Field

法医病理学