Citation

Olczak M, Niderla-Bielińska J, Kwiatkowska M, Samojłowicz D, Tarka S, Wierzba-Bobrowicz T. Forensic Sci. Int. 2017; 280: 1-7.

Affiliation

Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego st., 02-957 Warsaw, Poland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.09.008

PMID

28942078

Abstract

MAPT is a neuronal protein that plays an important role in axonal stabilization, neuronal development, and neuronal polarity. MAPT release into the CSF and blood has been interpreted as indicative of axonal injury as its elevated levels were observed in olympic boxers even after a mild head trauma suggesting minor CNS injuries. In our study we wanted to check the potential relevance of MAPT examination for forensic purposes. The study was carried out using cases of head injury group and cases of sudden death (cardiopulmonary failure, no injuries of the head - control group) provided by forensic pathologists at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw. CSF and blood were collected within 24h after death using suboccipital puncture and femoral vein puncture. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid Tau protein concentrations were compared using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa). Brain specimens (frontal cortex) were collected during forensic autopsies. Sections were stained histologically (hematoxylin-eosin) and immunohistochemically with anti human Tau antibody, anti glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), anti human macrosialin (CD68) or anti human endothelial cells (CD34). In our study we documented that elevated levels of serum and CSF MAPT may also be considered a marker for mild traumatic brain injury and traumatic brain injury (mTBI and TBI). An increase in CSF and serum levels of MAPT in the absence of visible macroscopic traumatic CNS changes indicates that even minor head injuries may result in changes at the neuronal level that could remain undiagnosed during regular forensic autopsy and routine histopathological examination.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Cerebrospinal fluid; Endothelial cells; Glymphatic system; Neuroglia pathology; Tau; Traumatic brain injury