Kaehler Antonia, Kuta Piotr, Renné Thomas, Garland Jack, Tse Rexson, Iwersen-Bergmann Stefanie, Fitzek Antonia, Ondruschka Benjamin
Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Int J Legal Med. 2025 Apr 8. doi: 10.1007/s00414-025-03482-6.
This study investigates the intraindividual variability and ex-vivo stability of vitreous humor (VH) analytes for forensic thanatochemistry. VH, an anatomically isolated and robust postmortem fluid, provides valuable insights into the postmortem interval (PMI) and potential antemortem medical conditions.
A total of 207 VH samples were collected from 36 cases and divided into three cohorts: serial sampling across three days postmortem, intraindividual variability assessment using triplicates, and ex-vivo stability evaluation through freeze-thaw cycles.
Linear relationships between PMI and potassium, calcium, creatinine, and lactate were identified, but their non-linear trends limited PMI estimation accuracy. Sodium, chloride, and glucose demonstrated variations linked to cardiovascular and infectious conditions, while elevated urea and creatinine correlated with renal or multi-organ failure. The study highlighted the importance of interpreting these biochemical markers in conjunction with clinical and environmental factors to improve reliability.
Ex-vivo stability testing revealed relevant variations in VH levels, emphasizing the need for standardized pre-analytical handling. Overall, while VH analytes offer promising forensic applications, their use for PMI estimation and medical diagnoses requires cautious interpretation within a multidisciplinary context.
本研究调查了用于法医死亡化学分析的玻璃体液（VH）分析物的个体内变异性和体外稳定性。VH是一种解剖学上孤立且稳定的死后体液，能为死后间隔时间（PMI）和潜在的生前医疗状况提供有价值的见解。
从36例病例中收集了总共207份VH样本，并分为三个队列：死后三天的连续采样、使用一式三份样本进行个体内变异性评估以及通过冻融循环进行体外稳定性评估。
确定了PMI与钾、钙、肌酐和乳酸之间的线性关系，但其非线性趋势限制了PMI估计的准确性。钠、氯和葡萄糖的变化与心血管和感染性疾病有关，而尿素和肌酐升高与肾脏或多器官衰竭相关。该研究强调了结合临床和环境因素解释这些生化标志物以提高可靠性的重要性。
体外稳定性测试揭示了VH水平的相关变化，强调了标准化分析前处理的必要性。总体而言，虽然VH分析物在法医应用方面前景广阔，但其用于PMI估计和医学诊断需要在多学科背景下谨慎解释。
