[Causes and severity of fatal injuries in autopsies of victims of fatal traffic accidents]

In this retrospective study, we decided to determine the death causes and severity of injuries in traffic accidents according to reports of the forensic medical center of Yazd. A total of 251 fatalities due to traffic accidents that had undergone autopsy examinations at the Yazd forensic medicine center from 2006 till 2008 were included in the study by census method. Data regarding gender, road user type, type of vehicle [car, motorcycle, autobus or minibus], consciousness level, and intensive care unit [ICU] admission was gathered. For evaluation of injury severity, we used Injury Severity Score [ISS]. The population under study consisted of 202 men [80.5%] and 49 women [19.5%] with an average age of 34.1 years [range 1-89 years]. Motorcycle-pedestrian accidents were the most common type of injury [100, 39.8%]. Head [220, 87.6%] and face [169, 67.3%] were the two most common sites of injuries. Mean [ +/- SD] of ISS was 23.2 [ +/- 10.4]. According to autopsy records, the main cause of death was head trauma [146, 58.1%]. Public awareness in terms of primary prevention of road accidents should be considered important. Also, regarding the high prevalence of brain injuries and complications associated with skull fractures, accessibility to neurosurgeons and availability of imaging devices have an important role in decreasing the mortality rate of traffic accidents

Localization of Epidermal-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein in Degeneration and Regeneration of Sciatic Nerve after Crush Injury in Mouse

The regeneration of axon and myelin sheet after crush injury of peripheral nerves involves interaction of several types of cells. including Schwann cells, monocyte, niacrophage and fibrohiast. Among them, haeniatogenous macrophages invading into the peripheral nervous system play a major role in myelin uptake during Wallerian degeneration. In this study 35 C57IBL6male mice 10 weeks old were used and classified in 7 groups of 5 mice. The localization of epidermal-type fatty acid binding protein [E-FABF] in the mature mouse sciatic nerve after crush injury was examined by immuno-light microscopy. Numerous macrophages immunopositive for both anti-E-FABP and F4/80 a macrophage marker, were found in degeneration process of sciatic nerve. Macrophages contained phagosomes of various sizes and they were regarded as those actively involved in the phagocytosis of sciatic nerve debrise. Conclusion: The present dietection of E-FABP immunopositivity selectively in invading macrophages suggests possible involvement of E-FABP and/or its fatty acids ligand in the process of peripheral nerve regeneration