Evaluation of post-mortem interval based on gingival tissue hypoxia inducible factor-1α gene expression

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Molecular Biology
• Pathology

Background:

• Determining the post mortem interval (PMI) is crucial in forensic investigations.
• Current PMI determination methods often lack reliability.
• Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) pathway, particularly HIF-1α, is involved in cellular response to hypoxia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the expression of HIF-1α mRNA in human gingival tissues at various post mortem intervals.
• To assess the utility of HIF-1α mRNA expression as a biomarker for PMI estimation.
• To correlate gene expression data with histopathological findings for improved PMI determination.

Main Methods:

• Human gum tissues were collected from cadavers at short, medium, and long post mortem intervals (PMI).
• Relative fold change in HIF-1α mRNA expression was quantified using RT-PCR.
• Histopathological analysis of tissue samples was performed to assess tissue degradation and cellular changes.

Main Results:

• HIF-1α mRNA expression showed a significant decrease from short PMI (26.90 ± 23.62) to medium (6.32 ± 10.90) and long PMI (5.33 ± 8.12).
• Histopathology revealed less necrosis in short PMI compared to long PMI.
• Inflammatory cell infiltration was highest in short PMI, absent in long PMI, and ulceration was prominent in long PMI.

Conclusions:

• Combined analysis of HIF-1α mRNA gene expression and histopathological findings offers a robust approach for determining the post mortem interval.
• HIF-1α mRNA expression serves as a valuable molecular marker for PMI estimation.
• This integrated method enhances the reliability of forensic death investigations.