Citation

Furukawa S, Sakaguchi I, Morita S, Nakagawa T, Takaya A, Wingenfeld L, Nishi K. Rom. J. Leg. Med. 2013; 21(1): 9-14.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Romanian Legal Medicine Society)

DOI

10.4323/rjlm.2013.9

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

It is still often described in forensic textbooks that suicidal strangulation by ligature without auxiliary device to remain tightening the ligature after unconsciousness of the victim. We report two cases of suicidal ligature strangulation without auxiliary mechanism. One occurred in a closed room and other was carried out in a police cell. These two cases reveal that the suicidal ligature strangulation is possible without auxiliary mechanism, however it was difficult to distinguish from homicide only from forensic autopsy findings, although death scenes and existence of suicidal notes produced clear verdicts of suicide in two cases. The death mechanism in these cases was discussed. The nucleus of the neuronal cells showed good reactivity with hypoxia or ischemia related antibodies, such as cold inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP), RNA-binding motif protein 3(RBM3), heat shock protein 70(HSP-70) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF-1), however the cells showed no reactivity with anti Sirtuin 1(SIRT 1) and p53 antibodies which are related energy metabolism or apoptosis. This is the first report in which the expression of hypoxia and /or ischemic related antigens described above was confirmed even in post-mortem human brains. © 2013 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; homicide; suicide; male; autopsy; case report; cause of death; immunohistochemistry; forensic pathology; article; human tissue; clinical feature; apoptosis; unclassified drug; protein expression; biological marker; hypothalamus; brain tissue; clothing; cell nucleus; antibody labeling; protein p53; heat shock protein 70; cell hypoxia; cold inducible RNA binding protein; cotton; Death mechanism; hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha; Hypoxia related antigens; RNA binding motif protein 3; sirtuin 1; suicidal ligature strangulation; Suicidal ligature strangulation