Localization of phospholipids in human catecholamine neurons with Baker's acid haematein.

Protein bodies in catecholamine neurons of the normal human brain contain arginine-rich proteins similar to those present in the core of Lewy bodies in Parkinsonian brains. Lewy bodies are known also to contain phospholipids in their core, demonstrable with Baker's acid haematein. We used Baker's procedure on catecholamine neurons of normal brains to test whether the protein bodies also contain phospholipids. Postmortem tissues of three control individuals were used in this study. Locus coeruleus and substantia nigra were dissected out from the fresh brains and two sets of blocks were made from each area. One set was fixed in formol-calcium for the preservation of lipids, the second was fixed in Bouin's solution and treated with hot pyridine for the extraction of lipids. Finally, both sets were subjected to the same chroming and staining procedure according to Baker. In catecholamine neurons the protein bodies were stained with acid haematein, indicating the presence of phospholipids. Since this staining resisted pyridine extraction we conclude that these phospholipids are firmly bound to the basic proteins. Thus, protein bodies in healthy catecholamine neurons give the same positive reaction for phospholipids as that reported for the core of Lewy bodies in damaged neurons in Parkinsonism.

Repeat autopsies on corpses from abroad. A futile effort?

A large number of corpses transferred to Athens and the Piraeus Morgue from abroad have been examined in second autopsies. Lack of information, mistakes in data, useless effort, and disappointment on the part of the forensic pathologists because of the lack of new information revealed are characteristic of these cases. With some exceptions, the second autopsy provided no news for the anxious relatives, who, for the most part, had been prompted by their attorneys or other "well-meaning friends" to demand a second autopsy on the corpses of their loved one (who generally died on board ship abroad). Nevertheless, in 10 of 59 cases, the cause of death was completely different from the determined in the autopsy performed abroad or assumed from the information available. This fact ensures that any corpse from abroad undergoes a careful and thorough examination on its arrival in Greece.

Medicolegal system in Greece. A combination of clinical and forensic pathology.

At the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Medical Examiners in Chicago, Illinois, in November 1981, Dr. W. Sturner, Chief Medical Examiner of the State of Rhode Island, gave his perspectives as far as clinical forensic medicine and pathology are concerned. This topic, therefore, brought to mind the idea of writing an analysis of the medicolegal system in Greece. This article attempts to show the advantages, problems, and the perspectives of an old-style medicolegal investigation system, existing in Greece since 1910. The clinical aspects of forensic medicine and pathology is exemplified by the presentation of the preliminary results of the study of injuries in traffic accident victims, 1,600 cases examined by the author with the support of other colleagues in Athens, Greece.

Differential effect of surgical injury and thermal burn on zinc metabolism in man.

Serum, erythrocyte and urinary zinc were serially measured during the early ten days following major surgery or thermal burns in 18 and 8 patients, respectively. Serum zinc gradually decreased and erythrocyte and urinary zinc increased during the first three postoperative or post-burn days. Thereafter, both serum and erythrocyte zinc gradually returned to preoperative levels in the patients subjected to surgery, while serum zinc continued to fall progressively despite a rapid restoration of erythrocyte zinc to control values, in the burned patients. It is suggested that in contrast to the early postoperative or post-burn hypozincemia, which may be attributed to a redistribution of zinc from plasma to tissue, continued decrease in serum zinc following thermal burns may indicate a mobilization of zinc to the burn site and eventually result in significant zinc depletion.

The content of trace elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg) in fingernails of children.

The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mg in fingernails of 212 normal children, 109 males and 103 females, 6--11 years old, were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. A wide scatter of results in all trace element determinations in fingernails was found. Nevertheless, it was noted that the petrographical composition of the region influences the trace element concentration in fingernails. An age variation was observed for Cu and Fe. Nail concentrations of the same trace elements were significantly higher in male than in female children.

Hair zinc compared with plasma zinc in uremic patients before and during regular hemodialysis.

Plasma and hair zinc concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 34 control subjects, 20 nondialyzed uremic patients and 18 patients treated with regular hemodialysis. Plasma zinc levels were low in both nondialyzed and hemodialyzed patients. Hair zinc levels were low in the nondialyzed uremics, but at least partialy restored to normal in patients on hemodialysis. In both patient groups, hair zinc was positively correlated with plasma zinc. In the nondialyzed patients haie zinc depletion in end-stage renal disease progresses with increasing degree of renal insufficiency and tends to be reversed by regular hemodialysis.

The diagnosis of organophosphorus fatal intoxication by the AChE activity in CSF.

A preliminary test for the diagnosis of intoxications with organophosphorous pesticides in fatal cases is described, based on the fact that these compounds inhibit AChE activity. For this purpose we measured AChE activity in CSF in 30 samples from fresh bodies autopsied after traffic accidents and in six after poisoning with organophosphorous insecticides. In order to exclude any other effect on the postmortem inactivation of the enzyme e.g. putrefaction we determined the AChE activity under different conditions. Thus we confirmed that in the reference samples, regardless the conditions, the activity of the enzyme was detectable at least 48 h after death, while in cases of poisoning the detection of AChE was inevitable early after death.

Concentration levels of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T in forensic material.

Concentration levels, of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-t in blood and viscera in a case of fatal intoxication with "Tributon" are given. Since the toxicity of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-t), widely used as herbicides in domestic and agricultural situations is very low, little information exists on human toxicology and particularly on analytical data in forensic material in cases of fatal poisoning. The reason of this paper is to provide further information on the concentration levels of these compounds in viscera in cases of fatal, accidentally or suicidal, poisoning.

Postmortem study of the prevalence of gallstones in Athens.

The prevalence of gallstones in Athens in 1973 was studied in an autopsy survey that covered 1,448 subjects of all ages and both sexes. Gallstones were found in 5.2% of all subjects and in 6.2% of subjects older than 40 years. The prevalence was higher in females and considerably higher in persons who died from cirrhosis of the liver or from ischaemic heart disease.