Biomaterial Database

[Identification and determination of age of needle tracks in human skin (author's transl)]. 1977

D Gerlach

Examination of enzymic activities and histochemical reactions on needle pricks can be used to determine the age of micro-injuries with sufficient exactness. Well preserved skin shows patterns of enzymes which also appear with other skin injuries and which were described in detail especially by Raekallio (1970, 1972). In autolytical changes of the skin the adenosinetriphosphatase-reaction is still reliable and can be successfully estimated. If one has sufficient experience it is possible to fairly exactly estimate the age of an injury within the first hour after the injury by preparation of the adenosinetriphosphatase-reaction. If the times of injections are known one frequently succeeds in determining the time of death by exactly determining the age of the injury. In legal expertises the histochemical reactions can rightly be regarded as useful indications of a certain age of the injury. But they do not allow an exact estimate "beyond a reasonable doubt".

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007275	Injections, Intravenous	Injections made into a vein for therapeutic or experimental purposes.	Intravenous Injections,Injection, Intravenous,Intravenous Injection
D009339	Needles	Sharp instruments used for puncturing or suturing.	Hypodermic Needles,Hypodermic Needle,Needle,Needle, Hypodermic,Needles, Hypodermic
D004950	Esterases	Any member of the class of enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of an ester bond and result in the addition of water to the resulting molecules.	Esterase
D005554	Forensic Medicine	The application of medical knowledge to questions of law.	Legal Medicine,Medicine, Forensic,Medicine, Legal
D006651	Histocytochemistry	Study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods.	Cytochemistry
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000251	Adenosine Triphosphatases	A group of enzymes which catalyze the hydrolysis of ATP. The hydrolysis reaction is usually coupled with another function such as transporting Ca(2+) across a membrane. These enzymes may be dependent on Ca(2+), Mg(2+), anions, H+, or DNA.	ATPases,Adenosinetriphosphatase,ATPase,ATPase, DNA-Dependent,Adenosine Triphosphatase,DNA-Dependent ATPase,DNA-Dependent Adenosinetriphosphatases,ATPase, DNA Dependent,Adenosinetriphosphatases, DNA-Dependent,DNA Dependent ATPase,DNA Dependent Adenosinetriphosphatases,Triphosphatase, Adenosine
D001329	Autolysis	The spontaneous disintegration of tissues or cells by the action of their own autogenous enzymes.	Autolyses
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor