Forensic determination of pregnancy hormones in human bloodstains.

When different bloodstains are encountered at the scene of crime, it is possible to discriminate those from a pregnant woman from others. Human chorionic gonadotrophin, human placental lactogen, total oestriol and progesterone in the stains may be determined with radioimmunoassay techniques using commercial kits. Only 1 cm2 of bloodstain is needed for the determination of all four parameters, which gives information about the state of pregnancy. More than 100 stains of blood from women in all stages of pregnancy, normal menstruating women, menopausal and post-menopausal women and male subjects, and of menstrual blood were analysed. Bloodstains from pregnant women were easy to evaluate with the four determinations, only very early pregnancies being undetected. Stains from non-pregnant women were negative or below the cut-off level. Two case examples are also described.

Evaluation of the automated haematology analyser Sysmex NE-8000.

The automated haematology analyser Sysmex NE-8000 was compared with the Technicon H-1, the automated analyser routinely used in our laboratory, and with manual cell differentiation results. One hundred and seventy samples from the daily routine workload, comprising specimens from healthy adults and patients with various ailments, were analysed on the Sysmex NE-8000 and the Technicon H-1. A manual-400 leukocyte differential count was performed on each specimen. Comparison of the results from the two blood cell counters showed good correlation (r greater than 0.9) for the white blood cell count, haemoglobin, haematocrit and platelet count. For the red blood cell count and mean cellular volume, the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.8. In the leukocyte differential count, Sysmex NE-8000 and Technicon H-1 showed good correlations for the neutrophil (r = 0.953), lymphocyte (r = 0.763), and eosinophil counts (r = 0.904). Correlation coefficients were very low for monocyte (r = 0.130) and basophil counts (r = 0.006). Correlation between the manual-400 method and the electronic leukocyte differential count showed similar results. Two hundred and twenty six normal and abnormal samples were compared with respect to morphology flagging with the two analysers, using the manual differentiation as the reference method. The abnormal specimens were representative of the range of leukocyte abnormalities seen in our laboratory. Sensitivity for detecting blasts was equal for both analysers. Sysmex NE-8000 was much more sensitive for detecting immature granulocytes than Technicon H-1. Low ranges of atypical lymphocytes were missed by Sysmex NE-8000. Left shift was also frequently missed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Oral antimony intoxications in man.

Four cases of acute oral antimony intoxication are reported. Three patients survived without sequelae. One patient, a 93-yr-old male, died from multiple organ failure. Toxicological analysis of blood, urine, and tissues revealed a severe intoxication.