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Biomedical subjects

J Hiss

Publications and source records attributed to J Hiss.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Confusing exit gunshot wound--"two for the price of one".

During the post-mortem examination of a 36-year-old shooting victim, two entrance gunshot wounds in the back and only one corresponding exit wound in the chest were detected. The likelihood of a retained fragmented or whole bullet, or an embolic phenomenon was eliminated by full body x-ray examination. The only remaining plausible explanation was that the two bullet tracts had converged within the thorax, eventually exiting through a common exit wound. Dissection of the projectiles' path confirmed this unusual phenomenon. Autopsy techniques for gunshot wound cases are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Cytotoxic phenotype of intra-epithelial lymphocytes in normal and cryptorchid human testicular excurrent ducts.

BACKGROUND: Most testicular and epididymal lymphocytes express T-cell markers, but their cytotoxic potential and activation status have not been reported. In this study, distribution of the cytotoxic cells was compared between normal and cryptorchid testes stratified into two groups: the first with complete absence of germ cells [Sertoli cell-only (SCO)] and the second with arrested spermatogenesis (SCA). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for the T-lymphocyte marker CD3 and cytotoxic markers CD8, TIA-1 and granzyme B was performed on paraffin-embedded sections. RESULTS: The number of CD8+ and CD3+ intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) increased distally throughout the normal epididymis. TIA-1 immunostaining revealed that a significant proportion of IELs exhibited cytotoxic potential, whereas granzyme B staining disclosed a subpopulation of activated cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs). TIA-1/CD8 and granzyme B/CD8 double immunostaining revealed that the vast majority of TIA-1+ and granzyme B+ cells were CD8+. The proportion of activated granzyme B+ lymphocytes increased distally throughout the normal epididymis. The number of TIA-1+ and granzyme B+ intra-epithelial and stromal lymphocytes was significantly increased in the normal as opposed to the SCO cryptorchid epididymis and proximal vas deferens. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that exposure of the testicular excurrent ducts to spermatozoa or immature germ cells triggers the activation and recruitment of CTLs. Cytotoxic granule effector mechanisms may contribute to the immunological barrier preventing the immune response to spermatozoa in testicular ducts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Personal identification based on radiographic vertebral features.

Personal identification of human remains constitutes about 10% of the normal caseload of any forensic medicine practice. Identification can be achieved by a variety of methods, one of which is the comparison of antemortem and postmortem radiographs. There are numerous accounts of cranial and dental radiographic features useful for identification, whereas the availability of postcranial radiographs and especially plates that depict the vertebral column is less widespread among the forensic community. The authors here review the various vertebral features instrumental in positive identification that can be identified on radiographs of the spine.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Fingerprinting the deceased: traditional and new techniques.

Identification of the deceased is an important task in medicolegal investigations. Fingerprints rank as the most widely used identification method, although obtaining the prints from the cadaver is not always easily accomplished. Various techniques for fingerprinting decomposed, mummified and burn victims have been suggested in the literature. In the present review, the diverse fingerprinting procedures implemented for cadavers in various conditions, with an emphasis on mummified fingers, are presented.

Autopsy↗
PubMed2000

Release from apoptosis correlates with tumor progression in the AKR lymphoma.

Disturbance of apoptosis is an established factor in tumorigenesis. The role of apoptosis in tumor progression is not yet clear. In the present study we compared the tendency to spontaneous apoptosis (and the proliferative capacity) of tumor cells derived from primary (PT) and metastatic tumor (MT) cells of several AKR lymphoma variants. Apoptosis-related gene expression was also compared. Our results indicate that release from apoptosis has a role in the tumor progression of this T cell lymphoma. At the cellular level, a markedly lower apoptotic tendency was observed in MT than in PT cells. The existence of macrophages only in PT also supports the presence of apoptotic cells in local but not in MTs. By contrast, proliferative capacity does not determine tumor aggressiveness in this system. At the molecular level, we found a higher staining intensity for bcl-2 in MT than in PT cells, suggesting that bcl-2 might be responsible for the reduced apoptosis in MT compared to PT cells. Evidence for p53 overexpression was found in the MT cells of one of the variants but in none of the PT. Comparison of Fas receptor, unexpectedly showed an increased expression in MT versus PT cells, possibly indicating resistance to Fas-induced apoptosis in the MT cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Sensitivity to macrophages decreases with tumor progression in the AKR lymphoma.

Resistance to immune reactions, innate or acquired, may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the progression of tumors. We have, indeed shown higher numbers of macrophages surrounding low- as compared to high-malignancy cells. In the present study we examined the level of cell surface molecules known to determine sensitivity to macrophages, namely galactose (GAL) and sialic acid (SA) residues. A histochemical assay for identification of SA by electron microscopy showed a higher cell surface content on metastatic (MT) than on primary (PT) tumor cells. The FACS data seen with fluorescent lectins showed a higher binding of Sambucus nigra agglutinin, which identifies SA attached to terminal GAL in -2.6 or -2.3 linkage, in MT than in PT cells. Binding of Maakia amurensis lectin (MAL-1), which identifies SA at position 3 of GAL, showed that the MT cells contain two subpopulations, one binding more MAL-1 and another less. Cell sorting showed a more aggressive behavior of the first population. The comparison of Peanut agglutinin (PNA) binding, which identifies GAL, demonstrated a decreased amount of PNA receptors in MT as compared to PT cells. Western blot analysis of the membranal proteins with different lectins, identified 3 sialylated glycoproteins. The 88 kDa glycoprotein had no significance for metastatic potential. The 130 kDa glycoprotein was higher in MT than on PT cells. The 220 kDa glycoprotein was practically present only on MT cells. The tendency observed was of a higher level of membranal glycoconjugates terminally sialylated with subterminal galactose residues, inMT cells as compared to PT cells. This may explain the recently found decrease in apoptotic cell death with increasing aggressiveness of the AKR lymphoma and suggests a lower sensitivity to macrophages with tumor progression. Treatment based on the reduction in sialic acid content might render the tumor cells more vulnerable to macrophages. We found, indeed, that Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) injected in vivo, exerted an inhibitory effect on growth of the lymphoma. We found moreover that WGA-treated tumor cells were more sensitive than nontreated cells to macrophages in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Body packer: cocaine intoxication, causing death, masked by concomitant administration of major tranquilizers.

Cocaine, derived from the leaves of the shrub Erythroxylon coca, which grows on the slopes of the Andes, remains one of the most widely abused illicit drugs (Johnson et al., 1993). Its abuse appears to be increasing and as a result, so is its trafficking across borders, with ever-increasing sophistication of concealment (Rouse, 1992). Over the past few years, cases of cocaine intoxication have been reported, resulting from ruptured packets of cocaine that have been swallowed, or inserted into the vagina or rectum by couriers (drug smugglers), so called 'body packers' or 'mules' (Westli and Mittleman, 1981; Ricaurte and Langston, 1995). Cocaine is a powerful sympathomimetic and central nervous system stimulant, an overdose of which causes primarily cardiac, neurological and psychiatric effects (Ricaurte and Langston, 1995). Acute toxicity is dose-related and is characterized in the first place by its sympathomimetic effects, which include tachycardia, hypertension and hyperthermia arrythmias, followed by seizures. Brainstem depression and cardio-respiratory collapse, stroke, coma, intracranial vasculitis, myocardial infarction and sudden death have all been reported in cocaine abuse (Ricaurte and Langston, 1995). We present a fatal case with neurological and psychiatric symptoms, but without the usual cardiac and systemic signs.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Improved method for shooting distance estimation. Part III. Bullet holes in cadavers.

An improved method to estimate firing distance on human body surfaces is described. The novel part of the method includes a chemical test in addition to the traditional visual and microscopic examinations of the gunshot wounds. This chemical test consists of a transfer of the gunpowder residues from the area of a gunshot wound to an adhesive lifter; the residues are then visualized as total nitrite after alkaline hydrolysis by the Modified Griess Test (MGT). When cadavers are in an advanced stage of decomposition or when gunshot wounds are in hairy areas, the information obtained by this chemical test can be crucial for shooting distance evaluation. In other cases it may improve the accuracy of the examination. In some cases, the results obtained by this test may assist in the discrimination between entrance and exit gunshot wounds.

Adhesives↗
PubMed2000

Trauma and identification of victims of suicidal terrorism in Israel.

The postmortem examination and identification procedures performed by medical and law enforcement personnel involved in mass disaster management in Israel are reported. The Israel National Police, the Israel Defense Forces, and the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine's experts examined 171 victims who died in 21 incidents of suicidal terrorism. The trauma sustained by the victims and perpetrators of suicidal bombings included complete body disruption and explosive, flying missile, and blast injuries. The modus operandi of the perpetrators, reconstructed from the distribution and type of injury of the victims, is discussed. Fifty-five victims perished in open space bombings and 91 inside buses. All perpetrators of these bombings died at the time of the incident regardless of their location. Identification of the victims was achieved using fingerprints, dental records, medical intervention signs, anatomic variation, genetic profile, and personal recognition. Prompt identification of the perpetrators allowed speedy apprehension of the accomplices and prevention of similar attacks. Collaboration between the different forensic, military, and law enforcement teams increased the efficiency of disaster management efforts.

Blast Injuries↗
PubMed1999

[Fatal rat bites].

We present a rare case of infant death due to blood loss resulting from multiple rat bites. Domestic dogs and cats cause most animal bites. Bites of a house rat usually cause bacterial infection, successfully treated with antibiotics. There is little information about death due to house rat bites. Since the wounds they cause tend to occur post-mortem, they are usually wedged, clean and without subcutaneous bleeding. An 11-week-old, malnourished infant girl was bitten to death while sleeping in her mother's bed in a rat-infested home. The infant's clothing was covered with blood, parts of her face were missing and marks of gnawing were present on her neck and extremities. There was subcutaneous bleeding around the wounds indicating that they were inflicted while the child was alive. Autopsy findings revealed profound blood loss. We conclude that a combination of low socio-economic status, severe failure to thrive, and poor hygiene in a rat-infested environment contributed to the fatal outcome in this attack.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Cocaine "mules"].

We present 2 cases of "body-packer" syndrome (BPS) in which the "mules" carrying the packages of narcotics arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport presented symptoms of acute cocaine intoxication due to the bursting of packages of narcotics they were transporting within their gastro-intestinal systems. Acute cocaine overdose due to sudden massive release of the drug into the digestive system in BPS, may cause psychosis, convulsions and eventually death. Blood levels of cocaine between 0.25 and 5 mcg/ml are toxic and occasionally lethal. When a package bursts within the digestive tract of a smuggler or blocks the intestines, an immediate laparotomy is necessary to evacuate the "ovules" and the remains of the drug from stomach and intestines. Patients merely suspected of being body packers can be diagnosed by physical examination and by means of various imaging methods. They can be conservatively treated with fluids and mild laxatives and kept under close supervision until the remaining packages are naturally discharged. Sudden onset of psychotic behavior in travelers from South America or other drug-producing countries should raise suspicion of body-packer syndrome. The relevant authorities should therefore be aware of the symptoms and consider their potentially dangerous outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Violent mortality patterns in immigrants in Israel (1990-95).

Since 1989, a large number of immigrants, mostly from the former Soviet Union, have arrived in Israel, increasing the local population (c. 5 million) by 700,000. The morbidity and mortality of this immigrant population have been the concern of many investigations. In the present study we examine the mortality pattern of a sample of 1,000 immigrants, whose deaths occurred during the years 1990-95 and were examined at the L. Greenberg (National) Institute of Forensic Medicine. The sample was divided into two subgroups, natural and unnatural, according to manner of death. Seventy-five per cent of the victims in the violent death subgroup were males with a mean age of 44.6 (SD 17.3) years, while the females of the same category were 52.7 years old on average (SD 19.9). The age distribution of the whole sample showed peaks in the 25-34-year-old group for males and the 35-44-year-old group for females. The most frequent causes of death were accident (44.1%), suicide (12.6%) and homicide (7%). In 5% of cases the cause of death could not be determined. The pattern of mortality from violent causes in the immigrant population differed from that of the country of origin in all parameters. The incidence of unnatural death in immigrants resembled the local pattern in Israel, and was significantly lower than that of their homeland.

Accidents↗
PubMed1999

Forensic radiology.

Imaging techniques are a powerful tool in forensic science. Medical examiners and forensic anthropologists are less versed in the finer points of radiology than radiologists; nevertheless they are required to interpret findings from imaging studies to further medico-legal investigations. The forensic investigator often should call upon the radiologist whose expertise might prove invaluable in forensic consultations. The radiologist should be aware of the importance of storing radiographs over prolonged periods of time and of efficient record keeping methods, because various legal problems may require the radiographs for additional interpretation or for their presentation in court. Some of the main issues that might be encountered in forensic radiology are discussed in this review.

Anthropology↗
PubMed1999

Marine taphonomy: adipocere formation in a series of bodies recovered from a single shipwreck.

Taphonomy of marine environments has been studied mostly from individual cases. The formation of adipocere, or "grave-wax," is an important indicator of the postmortem interval. In the present paper, the conditions and the timing of adipoceric formation are observed in a series of 15 cadavers recovered at different times, over a period of 433 days, from the same contained environment. Initial foci of adipocere on the subcutaneous tissue of the cadavers were detected as early as 38 days from the time of immersion in cold (10-12 degrees C) sea water. The discrepancies between our findings and previous reports on the correlation between time since death and decomposition stages in marine environments are discussed.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1998

Biological behavior and cell properties of new AKR lymphoma malignancy variants.

The AKR lymphoma-leukemia is a T lymphocyte neoplasm, most suitable as a model for human T cell malignancies. We have been interested in the process of tumor progression in the AKR lymphoma system. In the present study, two newly isolated variants, the TAU-42 and TAU-44, were characterized with respect to their biological behavior, by comparing them to a previously studied low-malignancy variant, the TAU-39. While the TAU-44 variant formed large s.c. local tumors, the TAU-42 variant formed only small growths or none at all. The TAU-42 lymphoma was found to have the highest malignant potential: it displayed very marked dissemination to spleen, lymph nodes, liver and lungs. The TAU-44 variant had an intermediate degree of metastatic potential but presented a predilection for spread to lymph nodes and spleen and was sometimes found to metastasize to peculiar organs, such as heart and pancreas. Cells derived from the different lymphoma variants varied in their immunophenotype: the highly malignant variant cells expressed more CD4 antigen than the low-malignancy one. The opposite was observed with regard to CD8. The variant cells also differed in their migrating capacity, the more malignant one exhibiting a higher motile activity. Studies on the tumor progression model of AKR lymphoma might contribute to the elucidation of the features determining the aggressiveness of T lymphocytic malignancies.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Suicide bombers in Israel.

Between 1993 and 1995, 14 suicidal terrorist bombings took place in Israel; 86 victims perished in these attacks, which were carried out by militant Palestinian organizations that oppose peace treaties between the state of Israel and the Palestinian people. The modus operandi of the perpetrators was detonating, in a public area, an explosive device carried on or in close proximity to the terrorist's body. We reviewed the postmortem examinations and identification procedures performed by the medical and law enforcement personnel involved in mass disaster management. The types of injuries sustained by the victims and perpetrators include body disruption, explosive injuries, flying missile injuries, and blast injuries. Blunt trauma directly produced by the explosion and flying missile injuries account for 80.1% of the wounds. The number of fatalities was more closely related to the type of the attack rather than to the amount and type of explosives used. Swift identification of all victims and perpetrators was obtained through collaboration between the different professional teams involved: forensic scientists, law enforcement agencies, and secret service investigators. Based on the analysis of the data obtained from the necroscopic examinations, we observed that most of the wounds sustained fall within the realm of blunt force injuries; emergency medical facilities that might be faced with similar situations should prepare accordingly. Collaboration between the various forensic and law enforcement teams results in swift resolution of disaster management. Prompt identification of the perpetrators allows the authorities to apprehend any accomplices and to prevent similar attacks.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Quantitative assessment of trabecular bone pattern identification.

The results of the research described in this paper demonstrate that the trabecular architecture is unique to each individual and stable enough to be used as a forensic marker for positive identification of human remains. The trabecular bone architecture depicted on radiographs is often used as an individualizing forensic marker for positive identification of human remains. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the reliability of the trabecular pattern in forensic identification. The trabecular pattern is potentially the best radiographic forensic marker since its presence on a radiograph doesn't depend on a previous pathology or traumatic event. A sample of 305 radiographs of the left wrist of 103 postmenopausal women was studied using an image analyzer. The uniqueness and stability over time of the trabecular architecture was examined by creating line maps or "densitographs" of the ultra-distal point of the radius of each roentgenogram. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated for all possible combinations of pairs of radiographs. The correlation coefficient of pairs of radiographs of the same individual, taken at different times (2 to 6 years apart), was always higher than 0.72, while the correlation coefficients of radiographs of different individuals was always below 0.62.

Adult↗