Postmortem CT morphometry with a proposal of novel parameters for sex discrimination of the mandible using Japanese adult data.

Major human sex differences in the mandible after adolescence include the overall size as well as the shape of the chin and mandibular angle; however, objective interpretation of discrimination accuracy is difficult for these morphological indicators. The present study investigated measurements of the mandible for sex discrimination using postmortem CT morphometry in forensic autopsy cases of Japanese subjects after adolescence (age>16 years; male, n=116, and female, n=106), including the proposal of novel parameters representing the overall mandibular size and shape. The distance between the gnathion and condylus (gn-cdl), and bigonial width (go-go), as well as the angle formed by bilateral gn-cdl lines (Agn-cdl), correlated with bicondylar breadth (cdl-cdl), independent of the body height, showing no significant sex difference. The distance from the gn to the cdl-cdl line (oblique length), the ratio of Agn-cdl to cdl-cdl, and the oblique triangular area formed by bilateral gn-cdl and cdl-cdl lines (Δobl), which were proposed as indicators of chin protrusion, showed significant sex differences (p<0.001). Overall sensitivity and specificity at respective discriminating points for sex estimation were 0.72 and 0.78 at 105.0mm for the oblique length, 0.73 and 0.83 at 0.49 for the Agn-cdl to cdl-cdl ratio, and 0.82 and 0.78 at 643 mm(2) for Δobl; the efficacy for females was greater in younger subjects. Although these parameters weakly depended on the body height (p<0.0001), the correlations were insufficient for stature estimation. These findings suggest the efficacy of CT morphometry of the mandible for sex discrimination with quantitative assessment.

Postmortem CT investigation of skeletal and dental maturation of the fetuses and newborn infants: a serial case study.

Physical maturation involving bones and teeth is a classic indication of fetal maturity in forensic practice, for which radiological examination is effective. The present study preliminarily investigated the efficacy of postmortem computed tomography (PM-CT) in estimating the gestational age of fetuses (n = 3) and newborn infants (n = 4), compared with plain radiography. Body length and weight estimated in reconstructed CT images approximated the measured values, providing additional data of body mass volume and fat development. The diaphyses of humerus and femur, and the epiphyseal ossification centers of femur and calcaneus were more easily identified and accurately measured in CT images than in plain radiographs. The developmental stage of deciduous teeth was also clearly identified. PM-CT was useful to evaluate the physical maturity of infants.

Protection of photoreceptor cells from phototoxicity by transplanted retinal pigment epithelial cells expressing different neurotrophic factors.

Transplantation of cells or tissues and the intravitreal injection of neurotrophic factors are two methods that have been used to treat retinal diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of combining both methods: the transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells expressing different neurotrophic factors. The neutrophic factors were Axokine, brain derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP) gene was used as a reporter gene. These genes were transduced into RPE cells by lipofection, selected by antibiotics, and transplanted into the subretinal space of 108 rats. The rats were examined at 1 week and 3 months after the transplantation to determine whether the transduced cells were present, were expressing the protein, and were able to protect photoreceptors against phototoxicity. The survival of the transplanted cells was monitored by the presence of eGFP. The degree of protection was determined by the thickness of the outer nuclear layer. Our results showed that the degree of photoreceptor protection was different for the different types of neurotrophic factors at 1 week. After 3 months, the number of surviving transplanted cell was markedly reduced, and protection was observed only with the BDNF-transduced RPE cells. A significant degree of rescue was also observed by BDNF-transduced RPE cells in the nontransplanted area of the retina at both the early and late times. Lymphocytic infiltration was not detected in the vitreous, retina, and choroid at any time. We conclude that the transplantation of BDNF-transduced RPE cells can reduce the photoreceptor damage induced by phototoxicity in the transplanted area and weakly in the nontransplanted area.

Quantifying alterations of macular thickness before and after panretinal photocoagulation in patients with severe diabetic retinopathy and good vision.

PURPOSE: To investigate the alterations of macular thickness during and after panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in patients with severe diabetic retinopathy and good vision, and to compare the outcomes of weekly and biweekly treatments. DESIGN: Prospective, comparative interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six patients with severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy or non-high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy whose visual acuity was 20/20 or better before PRP. METHODS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients underwent scatter PRP in 4 sessions. The macular thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography. The photocoagulation sessions were performed weekly to one eye and biweekly to the other eye. Each eye was selected at random. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Best-corrected visual acuity and macular thickness. RESULTS: Visual acuities were maintained in 89% of eyes with weekly treatments and 92% of eyes with biweekly treatments. Macular thickness was increased transiently in the central macula in both eyes, more in the weekly treated eyes, and then decreased to control levels in eyes treated biweekly but remained thickened in eyes treated weekly. CONCLUSION: For eyes with severe diabetic retinopathy and good vision, PRP with either weekly or biweekly treatment did not affect postoperative visual acuity. However, biweekly treatments allowed faster recovery of macular thickening after PRP than weekly treatments.

Possible use of nasal septum and frontal sinus patterns to radiographic identification of unknown human remains.

The aim of the present study was to examine the combined use of the nasal septum and frontal sinus pattern for systemic radiographic identification of unknown human remains and the limitations. Postmortem skull radiographs were collected in 209 forensic autopsy and 163 clinical cases. In total cases, a combined use of the nasal septum deviation patterns (straight, left, right, sigmoid, reverse sigmoid and rare types) and the frontal sinus patterns (aplasia, symmetry, left or right dominant asymmetry in combination with the number of lobulations) achieved a classification of at least 204 different types (incidence up to 5%). Comparison of the ante- and postmortem films (n=24) gave an identical result in about 75%. The cases of inconsistency suggested the influences of the positioning in radiographic examination, the quality of radiographs and the complicated structures of the nasal septum and frontal sinus as possible causes of missing identity.

Protective effect against ischemia and light damage of iris pigment epithelial cells transfected with the BDNF gene.

PURPOSE: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to protect retinal neurons against ischemia and light-induced damage. In the current study, the BDNF gene was transfected into iris pigment epithelial (IPE) cells of Long-Evans rats, and the neuroprotective ability of the IPE cells transfected with the BDNF gene against N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuroretinal cell death and against phototoxic damage was examined. METHODS: The level of BDNF mRNA and protein expressed in the transfected cells was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The neuroprotective effects were determined by culturing BDNF gene-transfected IPE cells or nontransfected cells with neuroretinal cells in the presence of NMDA. The neuroprotective activity was also evaluated for the damage induced by constant exposure to light on the photoreceptors by transplanting BDNF gene-transfected IPE cells into the subretinal region of the superior half of the eye. RESULTS: BDNF gene-transfected IPE cells expressed higher levels of BDNF mRNA and protein than did nontransfected IPE cells. A significant increase in the protection against NMDA was observed in the neuroretinal cells cultured with BDNF-transfected IPE cells than in those cultured with nontransfected IPE cells (P = 0.0029) or with nontreated cells (P = 0.0010). The effect was partially attenuated by the addition of anti-BDNF antibody. Significant photoreceptor cell protection against injury from constant light was also observed by the subretinal transplantation of BDNF-transfected IPE cells when compared with those receiving transplants of nontransfected cells or vehicle injection. CONCLUSIONS: BDNF-transfected IPE cells demonstrated a neuronal rescue effect in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. IPE cells may be a potential source for autologous cell transplantation for some retinal diseases, and the transfection of the genes of neurotrophic factors into the transplanted cell may be a useful tool for delivering these factors to the retina.

Inca bone in forensic autopsy: a report of two cases with a review of the literature.

Complete tripartite and complete asymmetric bipartite bones were, respectively, found in the interparietal region of the occipital bone in two forensic autopsy cases that we encountered. These isolated bones are called the Inca bones, or interparietal bones, which occasionally occur as a result of incomplete fusion of the ossifying nuclei during the developmental course. The Inca bones were detectable on ante-mortem cranial radiographs in these two cases. We review the embryological background of this variation, discuss the significance of this variation in forensic medicine, and additionally, present a review of the frequencies of other non-metrical characteristics of the skulls that may be detectable at the time of autopsy.