Publikation

Neuronal apoptosis following human brain injury

Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review - 18.11.2003

Bereiche
PubMed
DOI

Zitation
Hausmann R, Biermann T, Wiest I, Tübel J, Betz P. Neuronal apoptosis following human brain injury. Int J Legal Med 2003; 118:32-6.
Art
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel/Review (Englisch)
Zeitschrift
Int J Legal Med 2003; 118
Veröffentlichungsdatum
18.11.2003
ISSN (Druck)
0937-9827
Seiten
32-6
Kurzbeschreibung/Zielsetzung

Neuronal apoptosis has been investigated in paraffin-embedded brain tissue from 103 individuals who had sustained blunt head injury by use of the in situ nick translation (ISNT) technique. In order to provide reliable data for a forensic wound age estimation, a quantitative morphometric analysis was performed. Apoptotic neuronal cells could be detected in a cortical contusion with a wound age of 45 min at the earliest and in the majority of the cases with postinfliction intervals up to 2 weeks, numerous ISNT-positive cells were found adjacent to the traumatically injured area. The presented data indicate that neuronal apoptosis peaks at about 1 day and persists for at least 22 weeks after blunt head injury. The time-dependent occurrence of apoptotic cells can contribute to a forensic timing of cortical contusions and complements other immunohistochemical parameters, especially in the early postinfliction interval.