Effect of Time Since Death on Multipathogen Molecular Test Results of Postmortem Specimens Collected Using Minimally...

Area of Science:

• Forensic pathology
• Molecular diagnostics
• Pediatric infectious diseases

Background:

• Respiratory illness is a leading cause of death in young children.
• Accurate determination of the cause of death is crucial for public health surveillance.
• Postmortem diagnostics face challenges related to tissue degradation over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of postmortem interval on molecular pathogen detection using MITS.
• To assess the feasibility of MITS for pathogen identification in pediatric respiratory deaths.
• To determine the optimal window for sample collection after death.

Main Methods:

• Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) was performed on 20 children (1-59 months) who died from respiratory illness.
• Serial lung, liver, and blood samples were collected at intervals up to 72 hours postmortem.
• Multipathogen TaqMan® array cards (TACs) were used for molecular pathogen detection.

Main Results:

• A median of 3 pathogens were detected in lung tissue, 3 in liver, and 2 in blood.
• No significant association was found between postmortem interval and the number of pathogens detected.
• Specimen suitability for testing was maintained throughout the 72-hour collection period.

Conclusions:

• MITS allows for pathogen detection in lung, liver, and blood samples up to 4 days postmortem in refrigerated bodies.
• Inconsistent pathogen detection necessitates caution when attributing etiologic causes of death based solely on molecular findings.
• Further research is needed to optimize molecular diagnostic protocols for postmortem samples.