Mitochondrial DNA population data of HVS-I and HVS-II sequences from a northeast German sample.

Mitochondrial DNA sequences of the control region's two hypervariable regions HVS-I and HVS-II were determined for 213 unrelated west Eurasian individuals from northeast Germany (Mecklenburg). A total of 174 different mtDNA haplotypes were found, 25 of which were shared by more than 1 individual. The most frequent haplotypes were 263G-309.1C-315.1C, found in seven individuals, 263G-309.1C-309.2C-315.1C, found in six individuals and 263G-315.1C, found in five individuals. These sequences are also the most common haplotypes in other published European data sets. The sequence polymorphisms consisting of 150 polymorphic nucleotide positions were compared with other European databases. The genetic diversity and random match probability were calculated. Our results corroborate certain features which are characteristic for west Eurasian mtDNA population samples.

Sickle cell anemia: conclusions from a forensic case report of a young African woman who died after anesthesia.

A 20-year old African woman underwent anesthesia for interruption of an unwanted pregnancy. As a consequence of the anesthesia, she went into coma because of an as yet unknown and untested homozygotic state of sickle cell anemia. Her vital functions were maintained for more than 1 year by intensive medicine, but she died finally in multiorgan failure and aspiration pneumonia. Because of the complications under anesthesia and the missing preanesthetic test for hemoglobinopathy, autopsy was conducted in the forensic medicine department and not in the department of pathology. The sickle cell disease was diagnosed by electrophoresis of the blood, by molecular detection of mutation in the hemoglobin gene, as well as by postmortem light and electron microscopy. Sickle cells were found in capillaries of brain, liver, lung, bone marrow, and spleen. Electrophoretic analysis revealed 80.2% HbS in addition to 3.2% HbA2 and 16.6% HbF, whereas no HbA0 could be detected in blood, confirming the homozygosity of sickle cell anemia. Because of sickle cell crisis, occluded blood vessels, and severe brain cortex necrosis, the patient died in spite of reanimation and intensive medicine. This case demonstrates that it is still important to realize the possibility of this disease and diagnostic obstacles even in regions where its manifestation is not endemic, as in Northern and Central Europe.

Significant genetic differentiation between Poland and Germany follows present-day political borders, as revealed by Y-chromosome analysis.

To test for human population substructure and to investigate human population history we have analysed Y-chromosome diversity using seven microsatellites (Y-STRs) and ten binary markers (Y-SNPs) in samples from eight regionally distributed populations from Poland (n = 913) and 11 from Germany (n = 1,215). Based on data from both Y-chromosome marker systems, which we found to be highly correlated (r = 0.96), and using spatial analysis of the molecular variance (SAMOVA), we revealed statistically significant support for two groups of populations: (1) all Polish populations and (2) all German populations. By means of analysis of the molecular variance (AMOVA) we observed a large and statistically significant proportion of 14% (for Y-SNPs) and 15% (for Y-STRs) of the respective total genetic variation being explained between both countries. The same population differentiation was detected using Monmonier's algorithm, with a resulting genetic border between Poland and Germany that closely resembles the course of the political border between both countries. The observed genetic differentiation was mainly, but not exclusively, due to the frequency distribution of two Y-SNP haplogroups and their associated Y-STR haplotypes: R1a1*, most frequent in Poland, and R1*(xR1a1), most frequent in Germany. We suggest here that the pronounced population differentiation between the two geographically neighbouring countries, Poland and Germany, is the consequence of very recent events in human population history, namely the forced human resettlement of many millions of Germans and Poles during and, especially, shortly after World War II. In addition, our findings have consequences for the forensic application of Y-chromosome markers, strongly supporting the implementation of population substructure into forensic Y chromosome databases, and also for genetic association studies.

[Christian Ehrenfried Eschenbach (1712-1788)--a pioneer of legal medicine in German universities]. / Christian Ehrenfried Eschenbach (1712-1788)--ein Wegbereiter der universitären Rechtsmedizin in Deutschland.

Christian Ehrenfried Eschenbach (1712-1788) belongs to the forerunners of the embossed natural science scholars of legal medicine in Germany. As a principal re-elected 11 times and dean of the medical faculty at Rostock University he defended academic positions in difficult times. His bibliography comprises numerous text books, e.g. on surgery, anatomy, pathology and obstetrics as well as various fields of mathematics. His Medicina legalis (1746 and 1775) belongs to the first systematic editions of forensic medicine in the German-speaking community. Thanks to his extensive practical experience as a physician and public health officer he took a very progressive position on questions of forensic medicine, issues of professional ethics in medicine and the assessment of injuries. He has wrongly been forgotten.

Treosulfan and fludarabine: a new toxicity-reduced conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

New conditioning regimens are being explored to reduce toxicity and enable allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in patients not eligible for conventional transplantation. We have investigated treosulfan, an alkylating agent, with the aim of developing an efficient and reliable but less-toxic conditioning regimen. A series of 30 patients who were not eligible for standard conditioning therapy received transplants from HLA-matched related (n = 14) or unrelated (n = 16) donors after administration of treosulfan 10 g/m2 intravenously daily for 3 days and fludarabine 30 mg/m2 intravenously daily for 5 days. Patients receiving grafts from unrelated donors also were given rabbit antithymocyte globulin 10 mg/kg intravenously daily for 3 days. All patients achieved prompt neutrophil and platelet recovery. Extramedullary toxicity was generally mild with Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) grade 3 or 4 attributable to the conditioning seen only with transaminases. Complete donor chimerism was achieved by 90% of the patients. Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grade III or IV developed in 14% of the patients and chronic GVHD in 39%. An estimated overall survival rate of 73% and an event-free survival rate of 49% have been reached after a median of 22 months (range, 7.4-33.4 months). In summary, the combination of treosulfan and fludarabine is a safe and efficient conditioning regimen.

[Killing a wolf--an unusual case of forensic veterinary pathology]. / Tötung eines Wolfes--ein aussergewöhnlicher Fall forensischer Veterinärpathologie.

During a hunt in Western Pomerania in January 1999 a wolf, injured at the left hind leg, was killed by a shot in the chest region. It was a 2-year-old male that probably came to Germany from Poland by crossing the Oder River. The hunter was reported to the police afterwards, because there were doubts as to the legality of the lethal shot. The hunter pleaded relief by reason of section 22 a German Hunting Law (prevention of avoidable pain or suffering of wild animals). After the shooting there was a number of wrong expert statements by a veterinarian and two zoologists concerning the age of the injury on the left hind leg and the direction of the shot to the chest region, which were corrected by subsequent medico-legal examinations performed on the order of the prosecution.