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Immunohistochemical expression of fibronectin and C5b-9 in the myocardium in cases of fatal ethanol intoxication

Fracasso, Tony ; Pfeiffer, Heidi ; Köhler, Helga ; Wieseler, Sonja ; Hansen, Simon ; Jentgens, Lena ; Sauerland, Cristina ; Schmeling, Andreas

In: International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2011, vol. 125, no. 4, p. 537-542

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    Title
    • Immunohistochemical expression of fibronectin and C5b-9 in the myocardium in cases of fatal ethanol intoxication
    Author
    • Fracasso, Tony. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Pfeiffer, Heidi. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Köhler, Helga. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Wieseler, Sonja. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Hansen, Simon. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Jentgens, Lena. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Sauerland, Cristina. Institute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, University Hospital Münster, Domagkstr. 9, 48149, Münster, Germany
    • Schmeling, Andreas. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Röntgenstr. 23, 48149, Münster, Germany
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2011, vol. 125, no. 4, p. 537-542. Springer-Verlag
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:309877
    Summary
    Data from the literature indicate that the pulmonary pressure rises in cases of ethanol intake. We have recently proposed a method for the detection of prevalent right ventricular damage in cases of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism and pulmonary fat embolism. In the present study, we compared the expression of the antibodies against fibronectin and C5b-9 in 19 cases of lethal alcohol intoxications (study group: 5 females, 14 males, mean age 46years, mean blood ethanol concentration 3.5‰, min. 2.11‰, max. 5.31‰) to a group of 26 cases of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism (PE; group 2: 16 females, 10 males, mean age 56years). Moreover, a group of 15 cases of hanging (group 3: 5 females, 10 males, mean age 50years) as well as a group of 18 cases of myocardial infarction (group 4: 5 females, 13 males, mean age 61years) were investigated as examples of typical cardiac damage due to global hypoxia during agony and ischemic damage, respectively. The results of this study show that fresh cardiac damage can be detected at both ventricles in cases of fatal ethanol intoxication with the antibody against fibronectin. The damage is prevalently localised at the right ventricle (RV), as already observed in cases of acute pulmonary hypertension determining right heart failure. The degree of damage at the RV in cases of ethanol intoxications is lower than the one observed in cases of fatal PE