Postmortem measurement of human chorionic gonadotropin in vitreous humor and bile

J Forensic Sci. 2010 May;55(3):792-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01331.x. Epub 2010 Mar 15.

Abstract

Postmortem human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) blood assay can confirm postmortem diagnosis of pregnancy or document situations in which HCG levels are elevated. In some cases, however, blood sampling is not possible at autopsy. In this study, HCG was quantified by enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) in the bile (n = 5), vitreous humor (n = 4), and postmortem blood (n = 4) of five pregnant women. There were no false negatives in the pregnant subjects (n = 5) or false positives in controls (n = 34), enabling this test to be recommended for routine use in forensic contexts in which the detection of elevated HCG levels could be of interest.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bile / chemistry*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / analysis*
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Forensic Pathology
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques / methods
  • Infant
  • Middle Aged
  • Postmortem Changes*
  • Pregnancy
  • Vitreous Body / chemistry*

Substances

  • Chorionic Gonadotropin