Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102358

Scopus

researchmap

Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Respiratory viruses can cause fatal systemic infections; therefore, post-mortem diagnosis is essential in forensic autopsy cases. However, little is known regarding the distribution of respiratory viruses in the body. In this study, we investigated the anatomical distribution of respiratory viruses in 48 forensic autopsy cases suspected of viral infections at our institute. Fast Track Diagnostics (FTD) Respiratory Pathogens 21 was used as a screening test for 20 respiratory viruses in nasopharyngeal swabs. In cases with positive results for virus detection by the screening test, the detected viruses were quantified in body fluid and organ specimens by virus-specific real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and digital PCR. Viruses were detected in 33 cases, with the viral distribution and load differing among the cases. Since various respiratory viruses were detected from the nasopharyngeal swab and its viral load was higher than those of other body fluid specimens, the nasopharyngeal swab was suggested as a useful specimen for the post-mortem detection of respiratory viruses. Viruses were detected in almost all specimens including the serum in six cases. Considering the viral distribution in the body, pathological findings, and ante-mortem symptoms, these cases were presumed to be systemically infected, having died in the acute infection phase. In conclusion, the anatomical distribution of respiratory viruses can help indicate ante-mortem systemic conditions and the cause of death.

DOI： 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111419

PubMed

researchmap

Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

researchmap

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Benzalkonium chloride is widely used in disinfectants. Several toxicological and fatal cases have been reported; however, little is known about its kinetics and distribution. We investigated the kinetic characteristics and distribution of benzalkonium cation (BZK) based on the length of the alkyl chains C12, C14, and C16. Rats were treated intravenously with BZK solution (dose, 13.9 mg/kg) containing equal amounts of the three homologues. Kinetic parameters in the blood were assessed, and BZK distribution in the blood and tissues was examined both in rapid intravenous (IV) and drip intravenous (DIV) administrations. BZK concentrations were analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). BZK with longer alkyl chains showed lower elimination tendencies and remained in the blood for a longer duration. Concentrations of BZK were higher in the heart, lung, spleen, and kidney than those in the blood, and lower in the brain and fat. In both the IV and DIV groups, the lung, liver, spleen, and fat samples showed higher concentrations of the longer alkyl chains (BZK-C12 < -C14 < -C16), and the opposite trend was observed in the kidney (BZK-C16 < -C14 < -C12). Only the heart and muscle samples displayed the homologues in ratios comparable to the original administered solutions. Differences between IV and DIV groups could be identified by comparing concentrations of BZK homologues in the heart, lung, spleen, and kidney samples. We found that the kinetics and distribution of BZK were influenced by the alkyl chain length, and analysing each BZK homologues in blood and tissue samples may provide useful information.

DOI： 10.1016/j.legalmed.2020.101821

PubMed

researchmap

Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

researchmap

Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Meeting report  

researchmap

Event date： 2026.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Sofia   Country：Bulgaria  

Background: Postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) has become increasingly valuable in forensic practice for visualizing vascular rupture sites. Spontaneous common carotid artery dissection (sCCAD) is extremely rare. Knowingly, no previous reports have demonstrated its findings on PMCTA. Here, we report a case in which PMCTA was crucial in determining the cause of death in a man with right-sided sCCAD.
Methods: A man in his 90s experienced immediate lost consciousness and neck swelling following bathing and was confirmed dead upon hospital arrival owing to cardiopulmonary arrest, with intubation impossible. The patient had no history of neck surgery. Non-contrast CT performed three days postmortem revealed a right-dominant cervical hematoma without airway obstruction. PMCTA was performed during autopsy to identify the bleeding source. After thoracotomy and heart removal, catheters were inserted into the brachiocephalic and left common carotid arteries via the aorta. Gastrografin, a water-soluble contrast agent, was manually injected, followed by helical CT from the head to the upper chest.
Results: PMCTA demonstrated contrast extravasation from the right common carotid artery and vascular compression caused by a hematoma. Autopsy revealed a circumferential hematoma, predominantly on the right anterior neck. The right common carotid artery showed an adventitial rupture 1.5 cm below the bifurcation and an intimal rupture 1.8 cm below it, with a 1.8 cm dissection between them. Histopathology confirmed adventitial disruption and thinning of the tunica media at the dissection site. The cause of death was hematoma formation due to right-sided sCCAD.
Conclusions: sCCAD limited to the common carotid artery is rare. This case represents the first report to visualize the rupture site and vascular compression in sCCAD using PMCTA. PMCTA is a valuable adjunct for identifying vascular rupture and estimating the cause of death through three-dimensional vascular assessment.

researchmap

Event date： 2026.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Sofia   Country：Bulgaria  

Background: Congenital syphilis (CS) results from transplacental infection of Treponema pallidum (TP), causing stillbirth and infant death. Fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption immunoglobulin M (FTA-ABS IgM) is useful for clinical diagnosis of CS because it reflects the fetal immune response. However, in forensic autopsy cases, serum is often unavailable, particularly in premature or decomposed infants. This study evaluated whether real-time PCR detection of TP DNA could support postmortem diagnosis of CS by comparing PCR and FTA-ABS IgM results and assessed the utility of frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.
Methods: Five autopsy cases suspected of CS (four presumed stillborn infants and one 38-day-old infant) between 2019 and 2024 were included. DNA was extracted from cardiac blood, frozen organs preserved at –80°C, and FFPE tissues. Real-time PCR targeting tpp47 and polA genes was performed according to established protocols. Formalin fixation ranged from 5 to 94 days, and FFPE storage ranged from 236 to 2108 days. FTA-ABS IgM results were reviewed when available.
Results: FTA-ABS IgM was positive in two presumed stillborn infants, both showed TP DNA detection in frozen and FFPE tissues and were diagnosed as CS. Two cases without serum also showed PCR positivity in blood and organs, suggesting CS. An infant born to a treated mother was negative for both IgM and TP DNA. FFPE tissues fixed for less than 3 months and stored for less than 3 years yielded detectable TP DNA, while prolonged fixation or storage hampered detection. The concordance between frozen and FFPE results suggested that fixation and storage conditions, rather than organ type, were the main factors affecting detection.
Conclusions: Although the number of cases remains limited, real-time PCR for TP DNA can support postmortem investigation of CS. Frozen tissues allow high-sensitivity detection, while FFPE tissues enable retrospective molecular testing for up to a few years.

researchmap

Event date： 2025.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2025.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2025.9

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：盛岡   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2025.6

Language：Japanese  

Venue：久留米   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2025.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：久留米   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2025.5

Language：English  

Venue：Fukui   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2024.12

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：東京   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2024.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

researchmap

Event date： 2024.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

researchmap

Event date： 2024.9

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Country：Spain  

researchmap

Event date： 2024.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Okayama   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：川崎   Country：Kazakhstan  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：川崎   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.9

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Kurume   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

researchmap

Event date： 2023.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.11

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Kanazawa   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Chiba   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Chiba   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Kagawa   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Nagoya   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Nagoya   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2022.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Nagoya  

researchmap

Event date： 2021.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2021.9

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Munich   Country：Germany  

researchmap

Event date： 2021.9

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Munich   Country：Germany  

researchmap

Event date： 2021.9

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

researchmap

Event date： 2021.7

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Yokohama   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2020.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Tokyo   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2020.9

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Kyoto   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2019.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Tokyo   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2019.10

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Tokyo   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Fukuoka   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2017.9

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Dusserdorf   Country：Germany  

researchmap

Event date： 2017.9

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Dusserdorf   Country：Germany  

researchmap

Event date： 2017.9

Language：English   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Dusserdorf   Country：Germany  

researchmap

Event date： 2016.8

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Wakayama   Country：Japan  

researchmap

Event date： 2015.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Venue：Tsukuba   Country：Japan  

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap

researchmap