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Review

Forensic Biochemical Markers to Evaluate the Agonal Period: A Literature Review

by
Enrica Rosato
1,
Martina Bonelli
2,
Marcello Locatelli
1,
Ugo de Grazia
3,
Angela Tartaglia
1,
Fabio Savini
4 and
Cristian D'Ovidio
2,*
1
Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
2
Section of Legal Medicine, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via Polacchi, 66100 Chieti, Italy
3
Laboratory of Neurological Biochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IRCCS Neurological Institute Foundation Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy
4
Pharmatoxicology Laboratory-Hospital “Santo Spirito”, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124 Pescara, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Molecules 2021, 26(11), 3259; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113259
Submission received: 12 April 2021 / Revised: 17 May 2021 / Accepted: 26 May 2021 / Published: 28 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forensic Practices and Innovations: Instrumental Analyses, Data Correlations, Legislative Comments, and Case Studies)
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Abstract

Currently, forensic research is multidisciplinary with new methods and parameters useful to define the cause and time of death as well as survival/agony times. The identification of biochemical markers able to estimate agonal period has been studied by many forensic researchers. It is known that the estimation of agonal time in different types of death is not always easy, hence our interest in literature’s data. The studies analyzed in this review confirm the important role of thanatobiochemistry for the estimation of survival times. Regardless of the death cause, the survival/agony time between the primary event and death influences markers concentrations in biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid). Different biomarkers can be used for qualitative evaluations in deaths with short and long agony (e.g., C-reactive protein, ferritin, GFAP, etc.). Instead, the quantitative interpretation showed limits due to the lack of reference cut-offs. Thanatobiochemistry is a useful tool to confirm what emerged from autopsies findings (macroscopic and histological analysis), but further studies are desirable to confirm the evidence emerging from our review of the literature.
Keywords: post-mortem analysis; thanatobiochemistry; agonal period; post-mortem interval; biochemical markers post-mortem analysis; thanatobiochemistry; agonal period; post-mortem interval; biochemical markers

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MDPI and ACS Style

Rosato, E.; Bonelli, M.; Locatelli, M.; de Grazia, U.; Tartaglia, A.; Savini, F.; D'Ovidio, C. Forensic Biochemical Markers to Evaluate the Agonal Period: A Literature Review. Molecules 2021, 26, 3259. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113259

AMA Style

Rosato E, Bonelli M, Locatelli M, de Grazia U, Tartaglia A, Savini F, D'Ovidio C. Forensic Biochemical Markers to Evaluate the Agonal Period: A Literature Review. Molecules. 2021; 26(11):3259. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113259

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rosato, Enrica, Martina Bonelli, Marcello Locatelli, Ugo de Grazia, Angela Tartaglia, Fabio Savini, and Cristian D'Ovidio. 2021. "Forensic Biochemical Markers to Evaluate the Agonal Period: A Literature Review" Molecules 26, no. 11: 3259. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113259

APA Style

Rosato, E., Bonelli, M., Locatelli, M., de Grazia, U., Tartaglia, A., Savini, F., & D'Ovidio, C. (2021). Forensic Biochemical Markers to Evaluate the Agonal Period: A Literature Review. Molecules, 26(11), 3259. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113259

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