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Temperature‐Dependent Postmortem Changes in Human Cardiac Troponin‐T ( cTnT ): An Approach in Estimation of Time Since Death
Author(s) -
Kumar Sachil,
Ali Wahid,
Singh Uma S.,
Kumar Ashutosh,
Bhattacharya Sandeep,
Verma Anoop K.,
Rupani Raja
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12928
Subject(s) - troponin complex , postmortem changes , time of death , troponin t , autopsy , troponin , western blot , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , pathology , cardiology , biochemistry , toxicology , myocardial infarction , gene
Estimation of time of death is an indispensible requirement of every medico‐legal autopsy, but unfortunately, there is not a single method by which it could be determined accurately. This study focused on the temperature‐dependent postmortem degradation of cardiac troponin‐T and its association with postmortem interval ( PMI ) in human. The analysis involved extraction of the protein, separation by denaturing gel electrophoresis ( SDS ‐ PAGE ), and visualization by Western blot using cTnT ‐specific monoclonal antibodies. The area of the bands within a lane was quantified by scanning and digitizing the image using Gel Doc (Universal Hood). The results indicate a characteristic banding pattern among human cadavers ( n = 6) and a pseudo‐linear relationship between percentage of cTnT degradation and the log of the time since death ( r > 0.95), which can be used to estimate the postmortem interval. The data presented demonstrate that this technique can provide an extended time range during which PMI can be more accurately estimated.