Biomaterial Database

Sudden cardiac death: a comparative study of morphological, histochemical and biochemical methods. 1992

H P Hougen, and A Valenzuela, and E Lachica, and E Villanueva

University Institute of Forensic Pathology, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The study deals with the comparison of morphological, histochemical and biochemical methods applied to the detection of myocardial infarction in 150 medico-legal autopsies performed at the Institute of Forensic Pathology in Copenhagen. The study also included an NBT (formazan) test of cardiac cross-sections, and light microscopy and fluorescence microscopy of acridine orange-stained specimens from four different sites of the cardiac musculature. Specimens of myocardium from the same four sites and pericardial fluid were analysed biochemically at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Granada. The K+/Na+ ratio was determined in the myocardial tissue and total creatine phosphokinase activity, creatine phosphokinase isoenzymes (MM, MB and BB) and myoglobin were assayed in pericardial fluid. When the results from Copenhagen and Granada were compared, there was absolute concordance in 96 cases, discrepancy in 53 and one case was inconclusive. After studying the circumstances of death, the number of discrepancies were reduced to 20, so that concordance was reached in 86% of all the cases. The results show that the combination of different methods leads to a diagnosis of myocardial infarction in far more cases than with morphological or biochemical methods alone.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007527	Isoenzymes	Structurally related forms of an enzyme. Each isoenzyme has the same mechanism and classification, but differs in its chemical, physical, or immunological characteristics.	Alloenzyme,Allozyme,Isoenzyme,Isozyme,Isozymes,Alloenzymes,Allozymes
D008297	Male		Males
D008856	Microscopy, Fluorescence	Microscopy of specimens stained with fluorescent dye (usually fluorescein isothiocyanate) or of naturally fluorescent materials, which emit light when exposed to ultraviolet or blue light. Immunofluorescence microscopy utilizes antibodies that are labeled with fluorescent dye.	Fluorescence Microscopy,Immunofluorescence Microscopy,Microscopy, Immunofluorescence,Fluorescence Microscopies,Immunofluorescence Microscopies,Microscopies, Fluorescence,Microscopies, Immunofluorescence
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009203	Myocardial Infarction	NECROSIS of the MYOCARDIUM caused by an obstruction of the blood supply to the heart (CORONARY CIRCULATION).	Cardiovascular Stroke,Heart Attack,Myocardial Infarct,Cardiovascular Strokes,Heart Attacks,Infarct, Myocardial,Infarction, Myocardial,Infarctions, Myocardial,Infarcts, Myocardial,Myocardial Infarctions,Myocardial Infarcts,Stroke, Cardiovascular,Strokes, Cardiovascular
D009206	Myocardium	The muscle tissue of the HEART. It is composed of striated, involuntary muscle cells (MYOCYTES, CARDIAC) connected to form the contractile pump to generate blood flow.	Muscle, Cardiac,Muscle, Heart,Cardiac Muscle,Myocardia,Cardiac Muscles,Heart Muscle,Heart Muscles,Muscles, Cardiac,Muscles, Heart
D009211	Myoglobin	A conjugated protein which is the oxygen-transporting pigment of muscle. It is made up of one globin polypeptide chain and one heme group.
D009580	Nitroblue Tetrazolium	Colorless to yellow dye that is reducible to blue or black formazan crystals by certain cells; formerly used to distinguish between nonbacterial and bacterial diseases, the latter causing neutrophils to reduce the dye; used to confirm diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease.	Nitro-BT,Nitrotetrazolium Blue,Tetrazolium Nitroblue,Blue, Nitrotetrazolium,Nitroblue, Tetrazolium,Tetrazolium, Nitroblue
D010496	Pericardium	A conical fibro-serous sac surrounding the HEART and the roots of the great vessels (AORTA; VENAE CAVAE; PULMONARY ARTERY). Pericardium consists of two sacs: the outer fibrous pericardium and the inner serous pericardium. The latter consists of an outer parietal layer facing the fibrous pericardium, and an inner visceral layer (epicardium) resting next to the heart, and a pericardial cavity between these two layers.	Epicardium,Fibrous Pericardium,Parietal Pericardium,Pericardial Cavity,Pericardial Space,Serous Pericardium,Visceral Pericardium,Cavities, Pericardial,Cavity, Pericardial,Pericardial Cavities,Pericardial Spaces,Pericardium, Fibrous,Pericardium, Parietal,Pericardium, Serous,Pericardium, Visceral,Pericardiums, Fibrous,Pericardiums, Serous,Serous Pericardiums,Space, Pericardial,Spaces, Pericardial
D011188	Potassium	An element in the alkali group of metals with an atomic symbol K, atomic number 19, and atomic weight 39.10. It is the chief cation in the intracellular fluid of muscle and other cells. Potassium ion is a strong electrolyte that plays a significant role in the regulation of fluid volume and maintenance of the WATER-ELECTROLYTE BALANCE.