IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DEMONSTRATION OF BLEEDING IN DECOMPOSED BODIES BYUSING ANTI-GLYCOPHORIN-A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY

The usefulness of glycophorin A (GPA) as a marker of bleeding was inve stigated in decomposed bodies by using anti-human GPA monoclonal antib ody immunohistochemically. Ninety-one specimens consisting of 37 skin and 54 muscle specimens were obtained from 21 autopsy cases with vario us degree of decomposition, which ranged from 12 h up to 2-3 months af ter death. The presence or absence of the bleeding in the specimens wa s evaluated macroscopically and was divided as follows: (1) specimens without bleeding (31 specimens), (2) specimens with bleeding (15 speci mens), and (3) suspect specimens (45 specimens), in which the bleeding was not clear. By a peroxidase-labeled streptavidin-biotin method, po sitive reaction products for GPA were observed only within the blood v essels in the specimens without bleeding. On the other hand, in the sp ecimens with bleeding, positive reaction products for GPA were seen no t only within the blood vessels but also the extravascular tissues. Th erefore, a specimen can be diagnosed as bleeding when GPA is distribut ed both within blood Vessels and tissue outside the vessels. In applic ation of GPA to 45 suspect specimens, 42 specimens (93%) were distingu ished from the specimens with bleeding or without bleeding. These resu lts prove that GPA is very useful as a marker of bleeding. The detecti on of GPA by the immunohistochemical method will help to differentiate between bleeding and hemoglobin (Hb) diffusion from blood vessels in a decomposed body. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.