Complement C9 expression is associated with damaged myocardial cells in pediatric sudden death cases of fulminant myocarditis

Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences

article

Uno, Akari Takaya¹  Hitosugi, Masahito¹  Nakamura, Mami¹  Nakanishi, Tomoyuki¹  Mima, Takahiro²  Higuchi, Yoshihisa² 

[1] Department of Legal Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science;Department of Pediatrics, Otsu Red Cross Hospital

关键词: Autopsy;    Case report;    Child;    Complement C9;    Immunohistochemistry;    Myocarditis;    Sirtuin 1;    Sudden death;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41935-020-00211-5

学科分类：心脏病和心血管学

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Because disease progression is so fast in sudden death of acute fulminant myocarditis, damage of myocardial cells is not evident in routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. To understand damage to myocardial cells and the mechanism of sudden death, immunohistochemical staining was performed for two forensic autopsy cases. The patients were a healthy 5-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy. They suddenly died within 2 days of appearance of flu-like symptoms. An autopsy showed accumulation of yellowish-clear pericardial fluid containing fibrin deposits, fluid blood in the heart, and congestion of visceral organs. Histologically, minor necrosis or degeneration of myocardial cells with mainly lymphocytic infiltration was observed sometimes in tissue sections. Immunohistochemically, positive complement C9 staining and negative sirtuin 1 staining were found. These findings suggested wide damage of myocardial cells, even in regions with no marked changes in myocardial cells with hematoxylin and eosin staining. These areas corresponded to those with strong accumulation of lymphocytes. Immunohistochemistry for complement C9 and sirtuin 1 might become a new tool for evaluating damage of myocardial cells of fulminant acute myocarditis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY