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Physiological significance of cortisol during cold exposure and its application as a diagnostic marker for Hypothermia

Research Project

Project/Area Number 21K17327
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Basic Section 58040:Forensics medicine-related
Research InstitutionSaga University (2022-2023)
Osaka City University (2021)

Principal Investigator

Ikeda Tomoya  佐賀大学, 医学部, 教授 (10620883)

Project Period (FY) 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Keywordsコルチゾール / 凍死 / ACTH / 胃粘膜病変 / 生化学検査
Outline of Research at the Start

寒冷暴露(凍死)は特徴的所見に乏しく判定が困難な症例も多い.凍死を示唆する血液検査所見としてケトン体の上昇が報告されているが,低栄養でもケトン体は上昇し,低栄養と寒冷暴露の鑑別に適さず,新しい検査法が求められている.これまで我々は,寒冷暴露時にACTH(adrenocorticotropic hormone)の分泌細胞が出現することを明らかにした.この所見から,副腎皮質におけるコルチゾールが変化することが予測される.本研究では,「寒冷暴露に伴うコルチゾールの病態生理学的意義」を調べ,コルチゾールの動態が寒冷暴露の診断マーカとなり得るか明らかにし,法医学上の凍死診断の一助とすることを目的とした.

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many cases of death due to cold exposure (hypothermia) are difficult to diagnose due to lack of characteristic findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ``pathophysiological significance of cortisol associated with cold exposure'' and to clarify whether the dynamics of cortisol can serve as a diagnostic marker for cold exposure, and to assist in forensic diagnosis of freezing death.
When we measured blood cortisol and compared the cause of death groups, we found that cortisol levels were clearly higher in the death due to hypothermia group, so we concluded that measuring cortisol is useful in diagnosing death due to hypothermia. We also clarified part of the physiological mechanism by which cortisol increases during hypothermia. We also demonstrated the possibility that cortisol is involved in gastric mucosal lesions.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究において,寒冷暴露に伴うストレス反応と,他のストレス要因に対する反応時のコルチゾールを定量的に比較評価することで,コルチゾールの上昇が特異的所見のない凍死の新たなかつ客観的な診断基準の1つになることを明らかにできたことで,社会的意義としての死因鑑定精度の向上が期待できる.また,コルチゾール上昇の生理学的機序を検討し,胃粘膜出血にコルチゾールが関与している可能性を示唆することができたことで,法医診断的意義のみならず,臨床医学分野における低体温に伴う胃粘膜異常や免疫系異常の病態解明にも役立つものと考える.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2023 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (2 results)

All 2023 2022

All Presentation (2 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results)

  • [Presentation] The significance of measuring cortisol in hypothermia cases2023

    • Author(s)
      Tomoya Ikeda
    • Organizer
      Forensic Sciences Research
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Examination of the possibility that cortisol and gastrin are involved in the mechanism of Wischnewsky spots2022

    • Author(s)
      Tomoya Ikeda, Naoto Tani, Takaki Ishikawa
    • Organizer
      International Conference of Indo Pacific Association of Law Medicine and Science
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research

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Published: 2021-04-28   Modified: 2025-01-30  

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