A forensic autopsy case of death in a patient with pseudoxanthoma elasticum--dermatopathologic findings as a clue of the cause of death.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by papular skin lesions and cutaneous laxity caused by fragmentation and mineralization of elastic fibers. Although vascular and retinal aspects of this disease and their associated complications are well characterized, few authors have focused on the increased incidence of epilepsy in patients with PXE. A 28-year-old Korean male was found dead in his work place with bloody-foamy discharge from his mouth and nostrils. He reportedly had a convulsive episode 5 days prior to his death in the work place. The skin showed generalized laxity and many creases with maculopapular pigmentations. A histopathologic examination of the skin revealed Pseudoxanthoma elasticum. Based on the histopathological findings and medical history, death was postulated to be due to 'an internal cause, possibly related to a seizure attack'. Our findings suggest that histopathologic examinations of any lesions found during the forensic autopsy should be encouraged.

Using the developmental gene bicoid to identify species of forensically important blowflies (Diptera: calliphoridae).

Identifying species of insects used to estimate postmortem interval (PMI) is a major subject in forensic entomology. Because forensic insect specimens are morphologically uniform and are obtained at various developmental stages, DNA markers are greatly needed. To develop new autosomal DNA markers to identify species, partial genomic sequences of the bicoid (bcd) genes, containing the homeobox and its flanking sequences, from 12 blowfly species (Aldrichina grahami, Calliphora vicina, Calliphora lata, Triceratopyga calliphoroides, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya pinguis, Phormia regina, Lucilia ampullacea, Lucilia caesar, Lucilia illustris, Hemipyrellia ligurriens and Lucilia sericata; Calliphoridae: Diptera) were determined and analyzed. This study first sequenced the ten blowfly species other than C. vicina and L. sericata. Based on the bcd sequences of these 12 blowfly species, a phylogenetic tree was constructed that discriminates the subfamilies of Calliphoridae (Luciliinae, Chrysomyinae, and Calliphorinae) and most blowfly species. Even partial genomic sequences of about 500 bp can distinguish most blowfly species. The short intron 2 and coding sequences downstream of the bcd homeobox in exon 3 could be utilized to develop DNA markers for forensic applications. These gene sequences are important in the evolution of insect developmental biology and are potentially useful for identifying insect species in forensic science.

Use of cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (COI) nucleotide sequences for identification of the Korean Luciliinae fly species (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in forensic investigations.

Blowflies, especially species belonging to the subfamily Luciliinae, are the first insects to lay eggs on corpses in Korea. Fast and accurate species identification has been a key task for forensic entomologists. Because conventional morphologic identification methods have many limitations with respect to forensic practice, molecular methods have been proposed to identify fly species of forensic importance. To this end, the authors amplified and sequenced the full length of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of the Luciliinae fly species collected in Korea. The results showed the COI sequences are instrumental in identifying Luciliinae fly species. However, when compared with previously reported data, considerable inconsistencies were noted. Hemipyrellia ligurriens data in this study differed significantly from two of the five pre-existing data. Two closely related species, Lucilia illustris and Lucilia caesar, showed an overlap of COI haplotypes due to four European sequences. The results suggest that more individuals from various geographic regions and additive nuclear DNA markers should be analyzed, and morphologic identification keys must be reconfirmed to overcome these inconsistencies.

Sequences of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene are suitable for species identification of Korean Calliphorinae flies of forensic importance (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Calliphorinae fly species are important indicators of the postmortem interval especially during early spring and late fall in Korea. Although nucleotide sequences of various Calliphorinae fly species are available, there has been no research on the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) nucleotide sequences of Korean Calliphorinae flies. Here, we report the full-length sequences of the COI gene of four Calliphorinae fly species collected in Korea (five individuals of Calliphora vicina, five Calliphora lata, four Triceratopyga calliphoroides and three Aldrichina grahami). Each COI gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and directly sequenced and the resulting nucleotide sequences were aligned and analyzed by MEGA4 software. The results indicate that COI nucleotide sequences can be used to distinguish between these four species. Our phylogenetic result coincides with recent taxonomic views on the subfamily Calliphorinae in that the genera Aldrichina and Triceratopyga are nested within the genus Calliphora.