Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Immunodeficiency induced by child abuse.

T Fukunaga1, A Tanegashima, H Yamamoto

  • 1Department of Forensic Medicine and Sciences, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan. fukunaga@doc.medic.mie-u.ac.jp

Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine
|September 1, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Child abuse may cause severe thymus involution, leading to secondary immunodeficiency. Autopsy revealed impaired T- and B-cell functions in a fatal sepsis case from a neck infection.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Changes in choice of method and lethality between last attempted and completed suicides: how did suicide attempters carry out their desire?

Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)·2003
Same author

Intrathymic lymph nodes in humans.

Journal of anatomy·2001
Same author

Tissue-specific expression of Le(Y) antigen in high endothelial venules of human lymphoid tissues.

Glycoconjugate journal·2001
Same author

Lectin-histochemical detection of degenerative glycoconjugate deposits in human brain.

Forensic science international·2000
Same author

Fatal acute alcohol intoxication in an ALDH2 heterozygote: a case report.

Forensic science international·2000
Same author

[A sudden death case in the bath with peculiar scald].

Nihon hoigaku zasshi = The Japanese journal of legal medicine·1999

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Pathology
  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.
  • Child abuse can lead to severe physical trauma and long-term health consequences.
  • The thymus plays a critical role in T-cell maturation and overall immune function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential link between child abuse, thymic involution, and secondary immunodeficiency.
  • To report a pediatric sepsis case with autopsy findings relevant to immune system impairment.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a 9-year-old girl with fatal sepsis secondary to neck cellulitis from an ear injury.
  • Autopsy examination including histological and immunohistological analysis of lymphoid tissues.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assessment of T-cell and B-cell function.

    • Main Results:

    • Autopsy revealed severe thymic involution and atrophy of lymphoid tissues.
    • Histological and immunohistological findings demonstrated impaired T- and B-cell functions.
    • The fatal sepsis was linked to a neck infection originating from a right ear injury.

    Conclusions:

    • Severe thymic involution, potentially resulting from child abuse, can lead to secondary immunodeficiency.
    • This case highlights the critical impact of physical trauma on immune competence in children.
    • Autopsy findings in pediatric sepsis cases should include thorough evaluation of the immune system.