Evaluation of the hormones and enzymes secreted by the endocrin glands exposed to mechanic force among the aspyxia caused by mechanic force application on the neck area

90 SUMMARY Our study includes the postmortem examination of thyroid tissue pathologies, and fT3 (thriiodothyronyn), fT4 (Thyroxin), TSH (Thyrotrophin), Thyroglobulin, PTH (Parathormone), Calsitonine and Amylase levels in the serum samples of the death cases occurred as a result of the asphyxia caused by pression on the neck. In many of the mechanic asphyxia cases, there is not any examination finding or these are very indistinct. And in these cases there is not any evidence on the event area or any person who witnessed the death moment. For these reasons, our study was planned to answer the question that if the hormones and the enzymes levels above-mentioned could be utilize in postmortem examination of the asphyxia cases. The study population is 51 cases that 26 were death because of asphyxia occurred with a mechanic pressure (hanging, strangle with hand or strangle with a cord) on the neck and 25 sudden deaths occurred with different causes. The mean free T3 level of the sudden death cases was 4.7276(±3.5855) pg/mL; free T4 level was 1.4316 (±0.6084) ng/dL. While evaluating the fT3 levels of all subjects, the possibility of the level of fT3 being higher than the normal ranges is more frequent in the mechanic asphyxia cases than the sudden death cases. Higher fT3 levels were determined in 22(84.6 %) of the 26 mechanic asphyxia cases and in 9 (36.0 %) of the 25 sudden death cases. Lover or normal fT3 levels were determined in 4(15.4 %) of the mechanic asphyxia cases and 16(64.0 %) of the sudden death cases. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). In 9 subjects (34.6 %) of the mechanic asphyxia cases fT4 levels were found high and in 17 (65.4 %) subjects fT3 levels were normal, in sudden death cases fT4 levels were found high in91 7 (28.0 %) subjects and normal or low in 18 (72.0 %) subjects. In both groups, TSH levels were found nearly in the some ratio and in normal levels. The mean level of thyroglobulin of 26 mechanic asphyxia subjects was 282.1735 (±358.3048)ng/ML, and it was 71.5420(±76.1563)ng/mL for the 25 sudden death cases. The thyroglobulin level was high in 16 (61.5%) of the mechanic asphyxia cases and in 8 (32.0%) of the 25 sudden death cases. Normal thyroglobulin levels were determined as 10 (38.5%) of the mechanic asphyxia cases and 17 (68.0 %) of the sudden death cases. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). In our study, some data showing that high Thyroglobulin and fT3 levels could be a sign of vital reaction before death in the cases of mechanic asphyxia were obtained. It seems that, in these death cases, the pression on the neck area where the thyroid gland is, causes the secretion of the thyroglobulin and the fT3 which is the active thyroid hormone. For this reason, we think that, in the cases with no internal and external physical examination findings and any witness, in addition to the habitual examinations, thyroglobulin and fT3 analyses can be used.