Background and aim. Ethanol determination in post-mortem blood is one of the most important and frequently requested analysis in legal medicine and forensic toxicology. Post-mortem ethanol formation is a well-known problem, so correct interpretation of ethanol detection in post-mortem samples can be difficult. Therefore determining whether a finding of ethanol is due to antemortem ingestion of alcohol or not is very relevant in order to solve medico-legal question regarding traffic or occupational accidents or to establish victime capacity of reaction. EtG is a non oxidative ethanol metabolite with many applications in forensic toxicology. In autopsy samples can be used to determine recent alcohol consumption if blood ethanol has already been eliminated (that explains for example a positivity to cocaetilene [CE]) but furthermore it is a marker of antemortem ethanol ingestion. Study aim was to investigate the EtG distribution in post-mortem matrices: EtG concentration in heart blood, femoral blood and liver has been determined by LC-MS/MS. Material and methods. The samples were collected in autopsies of the Institute of Legal Medicine in Modena, Italy. We selected blood ethanol positive or blood CE positive autopsy cases in the period 2012-2015, during which all autopsy were also analyzed for EtG. In all cases we also recorded time frame between death and autopsy, case history, cause of death, putrefaction, if present. The analytical method used allowed the quantification of EtG in postmortem blood and liver. Among sample preparation, 200 mg of blood and 1 g of liver were added with physiological water, 200 mg supernatant was added to 10 µL internal standard solution (EtG-D5 1 ng/µL), 900 µL methanol. The methanol layer was transferred to Phenomenex PhreeTM Phospholipid Removal Tabbed 1 ml Tube. The cleaned methanol solution was taken to dryness and analysed by LC-MS/MS with negative ionization MRM mode. Results and discussion. We analized 54 autopsy cases and in total 113 autopsy samples. The frame between death and autopsy ranged from 24 h to 9 days. Both heart blood and peripheral blood was obtained in 31 cases, in 28 cases also liver speciman was available, in 21 cases only central blood was obtained, in 2 cases only peripheral blood. In 41 cases EtG was positive. In these EtG positive cases heart blood concentrations ranged from 10 to 42000 ng/ml, femoral blood concentraion ranged from 10 to 4698 ng/ml, liver concentrations ranged from 394 to 40615 ng/g. Distribution data of EtG in tested specimens will be presented.
A study of distribution of ethyl glucuronide in post-mortem matrices / Santunione, Anna Laura; Verri, Patrizia; Palazzoli, Federica; Marchesi, Filippo; Valdelli, D.; Licata, Manuela; Silingardi, Enrico. - (2016). (Intervento presentato al convegno IALM intersocietal symposium tenutosi a Venezia nel 21-24 giugno 2016).
A study of distribution of ethyl glucuronide in post-mortem matrices
SANTUNIONE, Anna Laura;VERRI, Patrizia;PALAZZOLI, Federica;MARCHESI, FILIPPO;LICATA, Manuela;SILINGARDI, Enrico
2016
Abstract
Background and aim. Ethanol determination in post-mortem blood is one of the most important and frequently requested analysis in legal medicine and forensic toxicology. Post-mortem ethanol formation is a well-known problem, so correct interpretation of ethanol detection in post-mortem samples can be difficult. Therefore determining whether a finding of ethanol is due to antemortem ingestion of alcohol or not is very relevant in order to solve medico-legal question regarding traffic or occupational accidents or to establish victime capacity of reaction. EtG is a non oxidative ethanol metabolite with many applications in forensic toxicology. In autopsy samples can be used to determine recent alcohol consumption if blood ethanol has already been eliminated (that explains for example a positivity to cocaetilene [CE]) but furthermore it is a marker of antemortem ethanol ingestion. Study aim was to investigate the EtG distribution in post-mortem matrices: EtG concentration in heart blood, femoral blood and liver has been determined by LC-MS/MS. Material and methods. The samples were collected in autopsies of the Institute of Legal Medicine in Modena, Italy. We selected blood ethanol positive or blood CE positive autopsy cases in the period 2012-2015, during which all autopsy were also analyzed for EtG. In all cases we also recorded time frame between death and autopsy, case history, cause of death, putrefaction, if present. The analytical method used allowed the quantification of EtG in postmortem blood and liver. Among sample preparation, 200 mg of blood and 1 g of liver were added with physiological water, 200 mg supernatant was added to 10 µL internal standard solution (EtG-D5 1 ng/µL), 900 µL methanol. The methanol layer was transferred to Phenomenex PhreeTM Phospholipid Removal Tabbed 1 ml Tube. The cleaned methanol solution was taken to dryness and analysed by LC-MS/MS with negative ionization MRM mode. Results and discussion. We analized 54 autopsy cases and in total 113 autopsy samples. The frame between death and autopsy ranged from 24 h to 9 days. Both heart blood and peripheral blood was obtained in 31 cases, in 28 cases also liver speciman was available, in 21 cases only central blood was obtained, in 2 cases only peripheral blood. In 41 cases EtG was positive. In these EtG positive cases heart blood concentrations ranged from 10 to 42000 ng/ml, femoral blood concentraion ranged from 10 to 4698 ng/ml, liver concentrations ranged from 394 to 40615 ng/g. Distribution data of EtG in tested specimens will be presented.
Pubblicazioni consigliate
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris
