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Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2)—a promising approach to diagnosis of forensic types of hypoxia-ischemia

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Abstract

The loss of neuronal immunoreactivity of the cytoskeletal microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) is known to be a marker of—at least—transient functional failure of neurons following ischemia. Because there are no specific neuropathological findings in forensic types of acute hypoxia-ischemia, detection of this relevant cause of death is often complicated and a reliable ischemic biomarker would be of great importance. We therefore investigated the neuronal immunoreactivity of MAP2 in human cases of forensic significance. A control group (n=27) was compared to a group of cases of hypoxia-ischemia (n=45), comprising death due to hanging (n=19), drowning (n=14) and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (n=12). Using immunohistochemical staining, the percentage of MAP2-positive neurons in the hippocampus (areas CA1–CA4) and frontal cortex (layers II–VI) was evaluated and compared. The hypoxia-ischemia group showed decreased MAP2 immunostaining in the hippocampal areas CA2–CA4 (P<0.05) and in cortical layers II–VI (P<0.001) compared to controls. Most vulnerable regions seem to be the hippocampal CA4 area and cortical layers III–V. Within the hypoxia-ischemia group, death due to CO poisoning was characterized by the lowest MAP2 immunoreactivity. The hypoxic-ischemic groups differ from controls by a distinct decrease of MAP2 immunostaining. Thus, the loss of MAP2 immunoreactivity may support the diagnosis of neuronal injury in forensic types of hypoxia-ischemia, although investigations on postmortem tissue must be interpreted cautiously.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Susanne Rath for her kind assistance with tissue preparation as well as Silke Tychsen-Langer for excellent secretarial assistance.

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  1. Institute of Forensic Medicine, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Kahlhorststrasse 31-35, 23562, Lübeck, Germany

    Johanna Kühn, Christoph Meissner & Manfred Oehmichen

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  1. Johanna Kühn
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  3. Manfred Oehmichen
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Correspondence to Manfred Oehmichen.

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Kühn, J., Meissner, C. & Oehmichen, M. Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2)—a promising approach to diagnosis of forensic types of hypoxia-ischemia. Acta Neuropathol 110, 579–586 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-005-1090-9

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