Post-mortem stability and redistribution of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Post-mortem stability and redistribution of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT)

AU - Rainio, Juha

AU - De Paoli, Giorgia

AU - Druid, Henrik

AU - Kauppila, Riitta

AU - De Giorgio, Fabio

AU - Bortolotti, Federica

AU - Tagliaro, Franco

PY - 2008/1/30

Y1 - 2008/1/30

N2 - Post-mortem diagnosis of chronic alcohol abuse is a challenge for forensic experts due to the lack of pathognomonic morphological findings and often also inadequate background information. Objective methods demonstrating chronic excessive alcohol consumption would therefore be a useful tool for forensic pathologists. In clinical practice, several markers of chronic alcohol abuse have recently been introduced, among which carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is the most accepted, but the use of these markers in autopsy has not yet been established. We examined post-mortem stability and possible post-mortem redistribution of CDT and compared two analytical methods, capillary zone electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography. According to our results, CDT remains stable for an appreciable time after death. The results further indicate that CDT is not subject to major post-mortem redistribution. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - Post-mortem diagnosis of chronic alcohol abuse is a challenge for forensic experts due to the lack of pathognomonic morphological findings and often also inadequate background information. Objective methods demonstrating chronic excessive alcohol consumption would therefore be a useful tool for forensic pathologists. In clinical practice, several markers of chronic alcohol abuse have recently been introduced, among which carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is the most accepted, but the use of these markers in autopsy has not yet been established. We examined post-mortem stability and possible post-mortem redistribution of CDT and compared two analytical methods, capillary zone electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography. According to our results, CDT remains stable for an appreciable time after death. The results further indicate that CDT is not subject to major post-mortem redistribution. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin

KW - Chronic alcohol abuse

KW - Autopsy

KW - Post-mortem diagnosis

KW - Capillary zone electrophoresis

KW - High-performance liquid chromatography

KW - Acid ethyl-esters

KW - Alcohol consumption

KW - Vitreous-humor

KW - Social drinkers

KW - Glucuronide

KW - Markers

KW - Blood

KW - Hair

KW - Tissues

U2 - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2007.03.020

DO - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2007.03.020

M3 - Article

C2 - 17475426

SN - 0379-0738

VL - 174

SP - 161

EP - 165

JO - Forensic Science International

JF - Forensic Science International

IS - 2-3

ER -