PULMONARY MYELOMONOCYTE SUBTYPES IN DROWNING AND OTHER CAUSES OF DEATH

Three immunohistochemically different myelomonocytic subtypes, i. e. M RP8, MRP14 and 27E10 were quantitatively evaluated in the intraalveola r, alveolar-interstitial and alveolar-intracapillary lung compartments . Lung sections from 5 major groups with defined causes of death, i. e . drowning and death during immersion (DI), cerebral/intracranial haem orrhages (CH), sudden cardiac deaths (SCD), hanging and throttling (HT ) and immediate trauma deaths (ITD) were stained and the positive cell s counted. The results show clear differences of the cell numbers on a verage. Among the different compartments the intracapillary cell count exhibits the highest numbers. If the cell counts are compared to the different causes of death, DI shows the highest values and ITD the low est. The individual values, however, show considerable variations in a ll compartments and especially in the low cell count range. Within the DI group two subgroups can be differentiated, one having low and the other one having high cell numbers. This can be due to the type of ago ny, i.e. drowning versus immersion/hydrocution, or to resuscitation at tempts or to a combination of both factors.