Müller E, Franke W G, Koch R
Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Technische Universität Dresden, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Germany.
Forensic Sci Int. 1997 Dec 1;90(3):165-70. doi: 10.1016/s0379-0738(97)00158-8.
The concentration of thyreoglobulin (tg) was determined for death caused by hanging, strangulation by ligature, and throttling. Cases of sudden death (traumatic aortic rupture, penetrating wounds of the heart) were used for comparison. The mean values in cases of hanging (149.9 +/- 202.3 ng/ml), strangulation by ligature (193.1 +/- 173.3), manual strangulation (561.6 +/- 173.9) are distinguishable from violent acute deaths (23.3 +/- 27.6) and living healthy individuals (17.3 +/- 16.1). By means of statistical comparisons, significant differences were found between throttling and strangulation by ligature and between throttling and hanging (adjusted P < 0.001). In connection with examination of the bodies high tg values can be regarded as a vital reaction in obstructive asphyxia.
