Babapulle C J, Jayasundera N P
Dept of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Med Sci Law. 1993 Jul;33(3):213-22. doi: 10.1177/002580249303300306.
Based on a hypothesis that post-mortem cellular (chiefly nuclear) changes in the white blood cells could reliably be correlated with the time interval since death, (ti), serial observations were made on the counts (total, differential) and light-microscopically observable 'degenerations' of white blood cells obtained from 30 non-refrigerated cadavers (experimental group) and similar cells obtained from 200 hospital patients (control group). While neutrophils degenerated rapidly, lymphocytes did so slowly; the eosinophils and monocytes degenerated at rates between these extremes. In cadaveric blood total counts of identifiable leucocytes on average dropped to zero by 84 hours, identifiable eosinophils and monocytes were first to 'disappear' (by 60 hours), followed by neutrophils (by 66 hours), and finally lymphocytes: identifiable lymphocytes disappeared completely at or around 84 hours from the time of death. This 'differential degeneration' was surprising but useful. Based on the use of all four characteristics--total and differential white cell counts, differential degeneration and morphology of cells--a method for a reasonably exact estimation of ti is presented. The method is appropriate for ti up to 84 hrs (3 1/2 days). Zero white cell counts (total, differential) and bizarre morphology (unidentifiable white blood cells) indicate a ti > 84 hrs. Avenues for further research are indicated.
基于一种假设，即死后白细胞（主要是细胞核）的变化能够可靠地与死亡后的时间间隔（ti）相关联，对从30具未冷藏尸体（实验组）获取的白细胞计数（总数、分类）以及光学显微镜下可观察到的“退化”情况进行了系列观察，并与从200名医院患者获取的类似细胞（对照组）进行了比较。中性粒细胞退化迅速，而淋巴细胞退化缓慢；嗜酸性粒细胞和单核细胞的退化速度介于这两者之间。在尸体血液中，可识别白细胞的总数平均在84小时时降至零，可识别的嗜酸性粒细胞和单核细胞最先“消失”（60小时时），随后是中性粒细胞（66小时时），最后是淋巴细胞：可识别的淋巴细胞在死亡后84小时左右完全消失。这种“差异退化”令人惊讶但很有用。基于白细胞总数和分类计数、差异退化以及细胞形态这四个特征的运用，提出了一种合理精确估算ti的方法。该方法适用于ti长达84小时（3.5天）的情况。白细胞计数（总数、分类）为零以及形态怪异（无法识别的白细胞）表明ti>84小时。文中指出了进一步研究的方向。
