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  • Title: Postmortem serum levels of pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins A and D with regard to the cause of death in medicolegal autopsy.
    Author: Quan L, Zhu BL, Ishikawa T, Michiue T, Zhao D, Yoshida C, Chen JH, Wang Q, Komatsu A, Azuma Y, Maeda H.
    Journal: Leg Med (Tokyo); 2009 Apr; 11 Suppl 1():S301-3. PubMed ID: 19254864.
    Abstract:
    Pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins A and D (SP-A and -D) are tissue-specific components. Previous studies showed an increase in the postmortem serum SP-A level due to acute pulmonary alveolar damage and acute respiratory distress. The present study comparatively investigated serum SP-A and SP-D levels with regard to the cause of death in serial medicolegal autopsy cases (n=679, within 48 h postmortem). SP-A and SP-D levels were usually higher in left cardiac blood than at other sites, independent of postmortem interval. The left-to-right difference was significantly larger for mechanical asphyxiation, drowning, intoxication and spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage. Both SP-A and -D levels in bilateral cardiac blood were significantly higher for drowning and secondary pulmonary damage involving ARDS after traumas, but were lower for hypothermia (cold exposure). SP-A was predominantly elevated in fire fatality and delayed deaths from injury and fires, while pneumonia showed a predominant elevation of SP-D. These findings suggest that comparative analysis of serum SP-D and SP-A is useful for investigating primary or secondary pulmonary alveolar damage in the death process.
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