Forensic Pathology and Legal Medicine

Forensic genetics: Identification, genetic screening of enzymatic polymorphisms and tertiary protection. In the forensic field, genetics has always been a fundamental field of research in the analysis of so-called STR (Short Tandem Repeat) polymorphisms for the personal identification of biological traces collected during an inspection in the crime scene or for the ascertainment / exclusion of paternity. To this end, the research activities of the forensic genetics laboratory are oriented towards the analysis and study of the allelic frequency of the aforementioned polymorphisms in the general population for the identification of the related statistical standards. (Reference Prof. A. Asmundo). The research and study of so-called enzymatic polymorphisms involved in screening as genetic indicators of individual susceptibility to (tertiary protection) metabolic and / or carcinogenic pathologies is carried out within the forensic genetics laboratory. This research activity is multidisciplinary in the fields of occupational, skin and ophthalmological pathologies. The research is conducted in collaboration with the research group of Occupational Medicine, reference professor Prof.ssa Giovanna Spatari.

Magnetic Resonance is widely used in the purely morphological evaluation of post-mortal phenomena while quantitative molecular imaging in magnetic resonance (qMRMI) allows to obtain objective quantifications of the biochemical properties of tissues. porcine muscles by quantitative MRI, in order to explore the potential usefulness of this approach in estimating the PMI. The scans obtained showed qMRMI parameters directly and gradually correlated to the post-mortem biochemical degradation of muscle tissues correlated to the decrease in temperature in the very early stages (from 35.7 to 18.2 ° C). Virtual imaging is almost superimposable to the morphological aspects of the histological images of the same tissues. The data obtained show that quantitative magnetic resonance imaging represents a reliable tool with potential applications in the multidisciplinary assessment of PMI in relation to the timing of muscle cell biochemical transformation. Forensic pathology: histopathology Diagnosis of early myocardial ischaemia in sudden cardiac deaths: the forensic evaluation of cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD) following atherosclerotic coronary artery disease can present significant diagnostic difficulties, especially when the subject's death occurs within a few hours of the onset of the In fact, it is agreed that routine histological examination does not allow to detect clear pathognomonic evidence of myocardial damage (coagulative necrosis) in cases where death occurs within six hours of the interruption of tissue perfusion (early myocardial ischemia - EMI). to fill the diagnostic gaps of the histological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin, research in this field has been directed to the analysis, using immunohistochemical techniques, of markers deponents for cellular / extracellular and inflammatory damage from ischemic insult. are indications / recommendations that define a panel of specific, sensitive and stable markers that lead to the diagnosis of EMI. mortem, with the aim of structuring a method for the diagnosis of EMI, based on multiparametric evaluation. The study (retrospective) is conducted on heart samples taken during an autopsy, assigned to 3 groups (G1: clear coagulative necrosis; G2: nonspecific signs of myocardial ischaemia / diagnosis of exclusion; G3: check). The data referred to at this time highlight: (1) the usefulness of the terminal complement complex (C5b-9), which appears to be characterized by high earliness and sensitivity; (2) the use of dystrophin as an early "new" marker of ischemic damage of the myocyte plasma membrane; (3) the greater precocity of dystrophin when compared to fibronectin, which is one of the most studied markers in the context of EMI.

Permanent laboratory for the study and assessment of professional responsibility in the health sector through the analysis of the cases observed in the context of the Claims Assessment Committee of the University Hospital "G. Martino "