Citation

Maiese A, De Matteis A, Bolino G, Turillazzi E, Frati P, Fineschi V. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10(11).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/diagnostics10110938

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIPL) (55 kDa) is expressed in numerous tissues and most abundantly in the kidney, skeletal muscles and heart. The c-FLIPL has a region of homology with caspase-8 at the carboxy-terminal end which allows the molecule to assume a tertiary structure similar to that of caspases-8 and-10. Consequently, c-FLIPL acts as a negative inhibitor of caspase-8, preventing the processing and subsequent release of the pro-apoptotic molecule active form. The c-FLIP plays as an inhibitor of apoptosis induced by a variety of agents, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), T cell receptor (TCR), TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), Fas and death receptor (DR). Increased expression of c-FLIP has been found in many human malignancies and shown to be involved in resistance to CD95/Fas and TRAIL receptor-induced apoptosis. We wanted to verify an investigative protocol using FLIP to make a differential diagnosis between skin sulcus with vitality or non-vital skin sulcus in hanged subjects and those undergoing simulated hanging (suspension of the victim after murder). The study group consisted of 21 cases who died from suicidal hanging. The control group consisted of traumatic or natural deaths, while a third group consisted of simulated hanging cases. The reactions to the Anti-FLIP Antibody (Abcam clone-8421) was scored for each section with a semi-quantitative method by means of microscopic observation carried out with confocal microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction. The results obtained allow us to state that the skin reaction to the FLIP is extremely clear and precise, allowing a diagnosis of unequivocal vitality and a very objective differentiation with the post-mortal skin sulcus. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; suicide; Suicide; Hanging; female; male; simulation; hanging; immunohistochemistry; Immunohistochemistry; Vitality; controlled study; differential diagnosis; clinical article; human tissue; apoptosis; kidney; prostate cancer; skin manifestation; protein expression; quantitative analysis; Article; ischemia; leukocyte; caspase 8; troponin I; skeletal muscle; tryptase; CD15 antigen; suffocation; postmortem change; three-dimensional imaging; antigen retrieval; C-FLIP; confocal microscopy; connective tissue; death domain receptor signaling adaptor protein; FLICE inhibitory protein; nape