ABSTRACT
Cases in which several persons who died from an unnatural cause are found together are often difficult. It is necessary to exclude homicide committed by another person and to clarify whether the deaths are the result of a homicide-suicide or a joint suicide of persons wishing to die. Two cases in which couples with gunshot wounds to the head had been found lifeless in their homes are presented. In both cases, the deceased were of advanced ages and suffered from severe pre-existing diseases. Due to the circumstances at the scene, the results of the investigations and the autopsies as well as the suicide notes found, a double suicide was assumed in both cases. The husbands killed themselves after shooting their wives. Based on the presented cases the so-called double suicide and the need for a thorough investigation of the death scene with the problem of differentiating it from homicide-suicide and double homicide are discussed.
Subject(s)
Cause of Death , Homicide/legislation & jurisprudence , Suicide/legislation & jurisprudence , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Autopsy , Brain/pathology , Conducted Energy Weapon Injuries/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Head Injuries, Penetrating/pathology , Humans , Male , Morphine/poisoning , Wounds, Gunshot/pathologyABSTRACT
The article reports on the case of a premature and stillborn child. As a first step it had to be clarified whether the child had been alive. The pathological examination of the placenta performed after autopsy could prove a retroplacental hematoma as the cause of death. Furthermore the autopsy revealed a severe skull deformity that would probably have made the survival of the child impossible.
Subject(s)
Abnormalities, Multiple/pathology , Fetal Death/etiology , Neural Tube Defects/pathology , Stillbirth , Adult , Autopsy , Brain/pathology , Cause of Death , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Placenta/pathology , PregnancyABSTRACT
Over one year, 7 autopsy cases with narrow diameters of the descending aorta were seen in the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bonn. The autopsy results were supplemented by chemical-toxicological, alcohol and histological examinations. In all cases middle-aged men (24-38 years) died suddenly and predominantly in a domestic environment. To some extent the inner aortic diameters ranged significantly below the expected values in relation to body surfaces or were lower than the 5th percentile related to men aged 45 years. In four cases, potentially lethal concentrations of alcohol or intoxications, e.g. with heroin, were noted. In one case, the blood sugar level was significantly elevated. In the other two cases, all further investigations were unremarkable.
Subject(s)
Aortic Coarctation/pathology , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/pathology , Adult , Autopsy , Diagnosis, Differential , Expert Testimony/legislation & jurisprudence , Germany , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the most active phagocyte in the human body, and this function is indispensable for vision. In this study, we introduce an easy and inexpensive way to quantify RPE phagocytosis by opsonizing FITC-labeled latex beads of a defined size with a crude mixture of photoreceptor outer segment fragments, using cells of porcine origin. After performance of the desired experiment, phagocytosis can easily be quantified by counting the ingested particles. With this protocol, we combine the advantage of a natural target with the advantages of the defined properties of latex beads. Moreover, in order to conduct these phagocytosis experiments, as laboratory equipment, in addition to cell culture equipment, only a centrifuge and a simple fluorescence microscope are needed.
Subject(s)
Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate , Latex , Microspheres , Opsonin Proteins/physiology , Phagocytosis/physiology , Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment/physiology , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/physiology , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment/ultrastructure , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/cytology , SwineABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that bevacizumab, but not ranibizumab, is taken up by porcine RPE cells. In this study, the effects of bevacizumab and ranibizumab on proliferation, wound healing and phagocytosis of the RPE were investigated. METHODS: Primary porcine RPE cell culture were prepared from fresh eyes, cultivated and treated with clinically relevant concentrations of bevacizumab or ranibizumab respectively. Proliferation was investigated in a proliferation assay, wound healing in a wound scratch assay and phagocytosis was investigated by feeding RPE cells photoreceptor outer segment-opsonized FITC-labeled latex beads. RESULTS: Bevacizumab, and to a lesser extend ranibizumab, impair the proliferation of RPE cells but do not affect wound healing. Bevacizumab, but not ranibizumab, reduces the phagocytotic function of RPE cells. CONCLUSIONS: The uptake of bevacizumab reduces phagocytosis in RPE cells, which indicates possible long-term effects of repeated bevacizumab treatment.
