Research progress in the estimation of the postmortem interval by Chinese forensic scholars

Abstract

The determination of time since death or the postmortem interval (PMI) is one of the most important and frequently asked questions in forensic medicine. Medicolegal scholars and forensic pathologists around the world have studied the estimation of PMI extensively in the past, and many novel methods and advanced technologies have now been applied in the field. For several centuries, Chinese forensic examiners have also worked on the estimation of the PMI, and there are a large number of excellent studies published in Chinese rather than in English, and these are not easily accessible or known internationally. Therefore we have conducted a review of relevant studies published by Chinese forensic scholars in the last few decades. The scope of this review is to provide a concise summary of the current progress in the estimation of PMI by Chinese forensic researchers using molecular biology, spectroscopic technology, entomological methods, energy changes, thanatochemistry and other methods.

Application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with chemometrics on postmortem interval estimation based on pericardial fluids

“…Postmortem interval (PMI) evaluation remains a challenge in the forensic community because routine methods rely on subjective evaluation of body signs alone during the early phase (usually within 24 h postmortem), including algor mortis, livor mortis, rigor mortis distribution, and corneal turbidity 1 . In recent years, an increasing number of investigations have focused on postmortem chemical changes in biofluids, especially the vitreous humor and blood 2 , 3 , to identify biomarkers for PMI estimation, since they are readily available at crime scenes or during autopsy.…”

MicroRNAs as Useful Tools to Estimate Time Since Death. A Systematic Review of Current Literature

“…Researchers have already presented the quantification of degraded RNA as a potential marker in PMI determination [7,10,58]. However, postmortem RNA degradation in human cells depends not only on time, but also on other factors, such as environmental conditions [63]. Sampaio-Silva and colleagues developed a mathematical model with predictive value for estimation of the postmortem interval with 95% confidence interval of 651 min using RNA from murine's visceral and muscle tissues.…”

“…Generally, researchers suppose that RNA degrades quickly after death, making it useless as a marker for the estimation of postmortem interval. Nevertheless, scientists have proved that RNA degradation in tissues is regulated by specific laws, and that RNA is quite stable after death [11,34,63].…”

Content Analysis of the Forensic Medical Assessment of Postmortem Interval

“…У протоколах огляду трупа на місці його виявлення не завжди були наявні відповідні виміри (температура навколишнього повітря, вологість, кількість шарів одягу на трупі, ложе трупа тощо), які могли б покращити точність оцінки ДНС. Впровадження цих вимірів у практику дозволить викори-стати новітні методи при дослідженні ДНС [29,30,31,32].…”