role of pulmonary surfactants [protein A and phospholipids], catecholamines and myoglobin in the diagnosis of the cause of death

ABSTRACT

An important and often one of the most difficult tasks of a medical practitioner or pathologist is the investigation of the cause of death. The aim of this work is to assess the post mortem levels of serum protein A [SP-A], pulmonary as well as serum phospholipids, catecholamines and myoglobin in forensic autopsies as a guide to diagnose the cause of death. This study was done on 120 cadavers 75 males and 45 females with ranging age from newborn up to 62 years old. They included 2 groups the first group consisted of 110 cases died from various types of trauma or due to some diseases [experimental group] and the second group consists of 10 cases died without trauma or disease [control group]. The experimental group subdivided into eleven subgroups of various types of trauma or disease. Each was 10 cases for each of the followings- strangulation, hanging, drowning, blunt head injuries, burns, sharp weapon injuries, heat stroke, electrical fatalities, hemorrhagic shock, myocardial infarction and interstitial pneumonia. It was found that the level of serum protein A [SP-A] showed a very highly significant increase in cases of interstitial pneumonia and highly significant increase in cases of drowning burns and sharp weapon injuries. Also it showed a significant increase in cases of strangulation hanging, blunt head injuries and electrical injuries, while insignificant increase in, heat stroke hemorrhagic shock and myocardial infarction as compared to the control had been shown. Serum phospholipids showed a very highly significant increase in strangulation, hanging, drowning, electrical injuries and interstitial pneumonia and highly significant increase in blunt head injuries, burn, sharp weapon injuries and heat stroke. Also it showed a significant increase in hemorrhagic shock and myocardial infarction as compared to the control. Lung surfactant phospholipids showed insignificant, increase in different cases of death as compared to the control. Adrenaline and noradrenoline showed highly significant increase in case of strangulation, hanging, drowning, myocardial infarction and interstitial pneumonia respectively. Adrencline showed a significant increase in blunt head injuries, burns, sharp weapon injuries, heat stroke and hemorrhagic shock as compared to the control. Noradrenaline showed insignificant increase in heat stroke as compared to the control. Myoglobin showed a significant increase in cases of blunt head injuries, burns, sharp weapon injuries, heat stroke and electrical injuries. While insignificant increase in cases of strangulation, hanging, drowning, hemorrhagic shock, myocardial infarction and interstitial pneumonia, as compared to the control