Estimation of stress in child neglect from thymic involution

It is difficult to evaluate the extent of stress in cases of suspected chil d abuse/neglect in a medico-legal autopsy. We have previously reported that stress due to abuse/neglect was found to have led to thymic involution. To elucidate the influence upon thymocytes differentiation, we compared the p roportion of the thymocyte subpopulation in the thymus of a neglected child with one in an age-matched control obtained from cardiac surgery. We found that the relative number of CD4(+)CD8(+) double positive (DP) thymocytes d ecreased in the neglected child. It was presumed that the selective decreas e in the number of the immature DP thymocytes with CD3(- to low)bcl-2(low) caused the thymic involution in the neglected child. It was suggested that an alteration in the proportion of thymocytes subpopulation might be used a s an index of stress in cases of child abuse/neglect. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.