1
|
Li D, Zhang J, Guo W, Ma K, Qin Z, Zhang J, Chen L, Xiong L, Huang J, Wan C, Huang P. A diagnostic strategy for pulmonary fat embolism based on routine H&E staining using computational pathology. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:849-858. [PMID: 37999766 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03136-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Pulmonary fat embolism (PFE) as a cause of death often occurs in trauma cases such as fractures and soft tissue contusions. Traditional PFE diagnosis relies on subjective methods and special stains like oil red O. This study utilizes computational pathology, combining digital pathology and deep learning algorithms, to precisely quantify fat emboli in whole slide images using conventional hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. The results demonstrate deep learning's ability to identify fat droplet morphology in lung microvessels, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.98. The AI-quantified fat globules generally matched the Falzi scoring system with oil red O staining. The relative quantity of fat emboli against lung area was calculated by the algorithm, determining a diagnostic threshold of 8.275% for fatal PFE. A diagnostic strategy based on this threshold achieved a high AUC of 0.984, similar to manual identification with special stains but surpassing H&E staining. This demonstrates computational pathology's potential as an affordable, rapid, and precise method for fatal PFE diagnosis in forensic practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dechan Li
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Kaijun Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Crime Scene Evidence, Institute of Criminal Science and Technology, Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiqiang Qin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China
| | - Liqin Chen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ling Xiong
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jiang Huang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
| | - Changwu Wan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
| | - Ping Huang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Huang W, Zhao S, Liu H, Pan M, Dong H. The Role of Protein Degradation in Estimation Postmortem Interval and Confirmation of Cause of Death in Forensic Pathology: A Literature Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1659. [PMID: 38338938 PMCID: PMC10855206 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
It is well known that proteins are important bio-macromolecules in human organisms, and numerous proteins are widely used in the clinical practice, whereas their application in forensic science is currently limited. This limitation is mainly attributed to the postmortem degradation of targeted proteins, which can significantly impact final conclusions. In the last decade, numerous methods have been established to detect the protein from a forensic perspective, and some of the postmortem proteins have been applied in forensic practice. To better understand the emerging issues and challenges in postmortem proteins, we have reviewed the current application of protein technologies at postmortem in forensic practice. Meanwhile, we discuss the application of proteins in identifying the cause of death, and postmortem interval (PMI). Finally, we highlight the interpretability and limitations of postmortem protein challenges. We believe that utilizing the multi-omics method can enhance the comprehensiveness of applying proteins in forensic practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weisheng Huang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Road, Hankou, Wuhan 430030, China; (W.H.)
| | - Shuquan Zhao
- Faculty of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China;
| | - Huine Liu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Road, Hankou, Wuhan 430030, China; (W.H.)
| | - Meichen Pan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Road, Hankou, Wuhan 430030, China; (W.H.)
| | - Hongmei Dong
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13 Hangkong Road, Hankou, Wuhan 430030, China; (W.H.)
| |
Collapse
|