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P Saukko

Publications and source records attributed to P Saukko.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Survey of medico-legal investigation of homicides in the city of Turku, Finland.

Finland has one of the highest homicide rates in western Europe but the clear-up rate is also exceptionally high. To create a detailed analysis of homicides (n=161) in a region of western Finland during the 20-year period from 1983 to 2002 all available information was collected retrospectively from multiple sources including medico-legal reports, reports of police investigations, and court proceedings. Among the data collected and analysed were location, time, circumstances, and motives of homicides, forensic pathologists' role at the scene-of-the-crime and in court, autopsy findings, demographics and substance abuse of both victims and offenders, criminal background, forensic psychiatric examinations, and the verdicts of the offenders. A typical homicide was committed without premeditation during the weekend by a drunken male with a knife at hand and with a history of violent crimes. The perpetrator was later found guilty of manslaughter and received a prison sentence. Some noted shortcomings both in the police and the medico-legal investigation procedures are discussed, as well as the forensic pathologist's role in the judicial process in Finland.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Histopathological findings of cardiac conduction system of 150 Finns.

One hundred and fifty heart specimens were collected from the cases submitted for autopsy in the Department of Forensic Medicine in the University of Turku in March-May 1995 and May-July 1996, respectively. The cardiac conduction system (CCS) of these hearts were examined in order to find out the histopathological changes in the CCS of Finnish persons and their forensic pathological significance. There were 94 males and 56 females. Almost all age groups were included. The results revealed that in most of the persons the fibrous tissue and fatty tissue in the CCS increased with aging. In about half of the persons, there was deposition of calcium in the central fibrous body, pars membranacea, and the top of the musculature in the interventricular septum. In seven cases, the atrioventricular node (AVN), His bundle (HB) or bundle branches (RBB, LBB) were compressed by the calcium deposition. Hemorrhage, inflammation, amyloidosis, tumor, fatty infiltration and developmental malformations were observed in 31 cases. Twenty-eight cases died of myocardial infarct, among them, no involvement of the CCS could be observed. The authors concluded that routine examination of the CCS is helpful for revealing diseases of the CCS and improving the quality of forensic pathological diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Identification and quantification of polychlorinated biphenyls and some endocrine disrupting pesticides in human adipose tissue from Finland.

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were analysed in extracts of human adipose tissue. The samples consisted of abdominal, mammary, and perirenal fat tissue of 27 Finnish adult males and females. Lipids were separated from the low-molecular compounds by preparative gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and the extracts were further cleaned-up using Florisil chromatography. The compounds were analysed in the extracts by gas chromatography (GC) using electron capture detection and by GC-mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode. Of the 23 analysed pesticide residues only seven could be detected in the extracts. All the extracts contained the DDT metabolite 4,4'-DDE, hexachlorobenzene, and PCBs. Other compounds found in the extracts were 4,4'-DDT, 4,4'-DDD, pentachlorobenzene, and beta- and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). The antiandrogenic 4,4'-DDE was the most abundant pesticide with concentration levels ranging from 3.5 to 3229 ng/g lipids (ppb). The mean concentration of DDE was 567 ppb, of pesticides in all 1008 ppb and of PCBs 504 ppb. Several of the identified compounds have been shown to exhibit endocrine disrupting effects. Statistical analysis showed a positive age correlation of DDE in females and hexachlorobenzene in males. No statistically significant differences were found for concentrations of individual compounds between sexes.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2000

Vascular adhesion protein-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and P-selectin mediate leukocyte binding to ischemic heart in humans.

OBJECTIVES: The expression of endothelial adhesion molecules and their functional significance in leukocyte adhesion to human myocardial blood vessels in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were studied. BACKGROUND: Leukocyte extravasation, mediated by specific adhesion molecules, exacerbates tissue injury after restoration of blood supply to an ischemic tissue. Experimental myocardial reperfusion injury can be alleviated with antibodies that block the function of adhesion molecules involved in leukocyte emigration, but the relevant molecules remain poorly characterized in human AMI. METHODS: Semiquantitative immunohistochemistry and in vitro adhesion assays were used to study the expression and granulocyte binding abilities of different endothelial adhesion molecules in human AMI. Changes in the molecular nature of vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) were evaluated using immunoblotting. RESULTS: Certain endothelial adhesion molecules (intercellular adhesion molecule [ICAM-2], CD31 and CD73) were expressed in myocardial blood vessels homogeneously in normal and ischemic hearts, whereas others (E-selectin and peripheral lymph node addressin) were completely absent from all specimens. The synthesis of ICAM-1 was locally, and that of P-selectin regionally, upregulated in the infarcted hearts when compared with nonischemic controls. Vascular adhesion protein-1 showed ventricular preponderance in expression and alterations in posttranslational modifications during ischemia-reperfusion. Importantly, P-selectin, ICAM-1 and VAP-1 mediated granulocyte binding to blood vessels in the ischemic human heart. CONCLUSIONS: Human P-selectin, ICAM-1 and VAP-1 appear to be the most promising targets when antiadhesive interventions preventing leukocyte-mediated tissue destruction after myocardial ischemia are planned.

5'-Nucleotidase↗
PubMed1999

Is cellulose sponge degradable or stable as implantation material? An in vivo subcutaneous study in the rat.

The long-term behaviour of cellulose sponge implants, 10 x 10 x 5 mm in size, and tissue reactions in and around them were examined in the subcutaneous tissue of the rat from 1 to 60 weeks after implantation. The cellulose sponge used was filled up with connective tissue 4 to 8 weeks after implantation. Histologically, moderate foreign body tissue reaction inside the implant, the appearance of cracks and fissures, spotty colouration, and softening of the pore walls were observed up to 16 weeks after implantation. Later, the foreign body reaction inside the sponge became milder, the spotty colouration disappeared and micropores enlarged in the viscose cellulose matrix. Histomorphometrically, the cross-sectional area of the implants and the size of the pore wall fragments decreased, and the number of pore wall fragments increased significantly. The cellulose sponge used can be regarded as a slowly degradable implantation material. However, the time needed for the total disappearance of the cellulose sponge from subcutaneous tissue is longer than the 60 weeks.

Absorbable Implants↗
PubMed1999

[The amyloidosis in cardiac conduction system].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between arrhythmia, cardiac failure and amyloidosis of cardiac conduction system (CCS). METHODS: CCS from 6 cases with cardiac amyloidosis were sampled using technique designed by the authors. The CCS were studied by Congo red staining and polarization microscopy. RESULTS: Pathological changes could be found in the CCS of these 6 cases. It was serious in sino-atrial node while slight in atrio-ventricular conduction system. The changes in atrio-ventricular conduction system were exacerbated from proximal part (atrio-ventricular node) to distal part (left bundle branch). In the 3 cases with sinus bradycardia and conduction blocking manifested by electrocardiogram, the pathological changes in CCS were more extensive and serious than that of other cases. CONCLUSION: The amyloidosis in CCS is one of the pathological bases of arrhythmia.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Alzheimer changes are common in aged drivers killed in single car crashes and at intersections.

With increasing age, diseases affecting the cognitive functions are more frequent. These diseases may increase the risk for fatal car crashes. We analyzed the frequency of neuropathological alterations characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (i.e. neuritic and diffuse plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles) in two association areas of the brain, parietal and frontal cerebral cortex, from 98 fatally injured aged drivers. In the age groups of 65-75 and over 75 years of age, 50% and 72% of the drivers, respectively, had neuritic plaques in either parietal and/or frontal cortex. In 14% of all killed drivers the number of neuritic plaques reached the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) age-related histologic score C, which indicates the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and an additional 33% had score B, which suggests the diagnosis of AD. Neuropathological AD changes were most common in the brains of drivers killed in single vehicle crashes, followed by multivehicle crashes at intersections and least common in multivehicle crashes elsewhere, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. In a great majority (80-85%) of cases the killed aged driver was the guilty party of the crash. The results imply, that incipient AD may contribute to fatal crashes of aged drivers, and therefore the forensic autopsy of these victims should include neuropathological examination.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1998

Connective tissue formation in subcutaneous cellulose sponge implants in the rat. The effect of the size and cellulose content of the implant.

Granulation tissue formation was studied in viscose cellulose sponges with different cellulose contents and sizes after subcutaneous implantation in rats. Samples were removed and studied histologically and histomorphometrically 1-16 weeks after implantation. The implants with lower cellulose content and smaller size were invaded by more cells and filled with connective tissue more rapidly than those with the higher content and larger size. In larger sponge implants the beneficial effect of the lower cellulose content was more conspicuous.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Biocompatibility of cellulose sponge with bone.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biocompatibility of viscose cellulose sponge (VCS) with bone. Twenty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study. After curettage of the bone marrow from both femoral cavities, VCS (15 x 1 x 1 mm) was implanted into one femur, leaving the contralateral side empty as a control. The rats were killed 1-6 weeks after curettage, and bone formation inside the sponge was assessed by light-microscopic examination and histomorphometric assessment. Whereas normal bone formation in rat femoral cavity took place in 2 weeks after curettage, 4 weeks were needed for bone formation in the cellulose sponge. VCS is a compatible matrix for osseous tissue ingrowth and it may be useful as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering in experiments and possibly also in clinical practice.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A modified method for examining the cardiac conduction system.

A revised technique is described in which the sino-atrial node, the atrio-ventricular node and the distal part of the His bundle and the bundle brances of the cardiac conduction system are demonstrated in longitudinal sections through cutting of 4-5 blocks. The longitudinal sectioning allows observation of continuity between different components of the cardiac conduction tissue. This method reduces the workload and hopefully encourages the pathologist to make the examination of the cardiac conduction system a part of the routine procedure.

Atrioventricular Node↗
PubMed1997

The anatomy of the human promontory for laser Doppler flowmetry.

Studies of the dynamic characteristics of cochlear blood flow (CBF) utilizing laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in laboratory animals have provided a new approach to the understanding of control mechanisms of CBF and the role of the CBF in cochlear disorders. However, few studies exist indicating that LDF of human CBF may be possible. Since bone thickness, density, structure characteristics, and blood flow all greatly affect LDF recording, we examined the anatomy of the human promontory for inter-individual variations in thickness, quality and vascularity of the bone and mucosa and recorded middle ear topographic relationships to the underlying cochlear lateral wall vasculature. Temporal bones from 21 cadavers without known premortem histories of ear disease were obtained. India ink was infused selectively via the vertebral or carotid system to study the origin of bone/ mucosa circulation to the otic capsule. Light microscopy revealed that the human promontory was characterized as cortical bone having few blood vessels. The thickness of the bone measured at four horizontal levels and mucosa at the top of promontory and anteriorly around the tympanic plexus varied from 1.67 +/- 0.64 to 1.13 +/- 0.26 mm for bone and 0.06-0.13 mm for mucosa. The thinnest bone was found around the tympanic plexus, where the bone thickness varied from 0.6 to 1.2 mm. Previous data indicate that current LDF instruments can provide a linear measure of blood flow through bone thicknesses of 1-3 mm or more (depending on the type of bone). Data from the current study indicate that direct valid dynamic measures of CBF are possible in humans. Since the optimal area available is small, the topography of the middle ear should be well known and the recording site well defined to obtain valid results.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Viscose cellulose sponge as an implantable matrix: changes in the structure increase the production of granulation tissue.

Since the 1950s a number of implantable substances have been used to study granulation tissue formation: steel mesh, polyvinylalcohol (PVA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyurethane, and viscose cellulose sponges (VCS). The side effects of these materials on granulation tissue formation vary considerably. An ideal material does not interfere with the normal wound-healing process and collects as many cells as possible for further analysis. Viscose cellulose sponge has been shown to be one of the most inert materials for this purpose. In this study we examined the correlation between changes in the structure of the sponge and the number of cells harvested and the synthesis of granulation tissue after subcutaneous implantation in rats. It was discovered that it is possible to control the structure of the sponge and by certain changes in this structure increase the number of invading cells and the production of granulation tissue in the sponge. There is, however, a distinct plateau after which changes in structure do not increase the number of invading cells and the production of granulation tissue in the sponge.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Medicolegal investigative system and sudden death in Scandinavia.

The Nordic region consists of Denmark, with the autonomous territories of the Faeroes and Greenland, Finland, with the autonomous Aland Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. However, this review deals only with the situation in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. In these four countries only a physician can confirm that a person is dead and practically any physician can certify a death due to natural causes if he knows the cause of death. A clinical autopsy can be performed to confirm the diagnosis with the permission of the relatives. The regulations concerning the reporting and investigation of sudden unexpected and non-natural deaths are very similar in all Nordic countries. In general those deaths, which are criminal, suspicious, accidental, suicidal, sudden and unexpected, unexplained or in any way not due to natural causes, cannot be certified by a doctor and must be reported to the police for medico-legal investigation. Forensic Medicine exists as a medical specialty at present only in Finland and Sweden. The total autopsy rates vary from country to country, with the lowest autopsy rate in Norway-10.6% of all deaths, followed by Denmark-16%, Sweden-22% and Finland-31.1%. Despite the apparent similarities in legislation regarding those deaths which should be referred for medicolegal examination, the practices differ so much in the different countries that it is, in fact, not possible to make many valid comparisons. The number of Group XVI-cases (symptoms and ill-defined causes of death) of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) in the mortality statistics of each Nordic country seems to be inversely correlated to the autopsy rate. This gives some indication of the efficacy of the certification of death in a given country. Finland, having the highest autopsy rate, has the lowest number of ill-defined causes of death. The declining autopsy rate in all Nordic countries seems to be in line with the international trend. If this tendency continues, it will, without doubt, have a negative impact on the reliability of mortality statistics in general and, in the individual case, increase the possibility of incorrect classification of the mode of death. In the worst instance this might result in failure to detect homicide.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1994

Effects of lifelong ethanol consumption on the ultrastructure and lipopigmentation of rat heart.

The myocardial interactions of ageing and lifelong ethanol ingestion were studied in the ethanol-preferring AA (Alko Alcohol) line of rats. Samples of the left ventricle from young control rats (3-month), old control rats (30-month) and rats exposed to ethanol from 3 to 30 months of age, were studied in terms of myocardial ultrastructure and lipopigmentation. Electron microscopic morphometry showed an age-related increase in the volumetric densities of lipofuscin and unspecified sarcoplasm, while the proportions of mitochondria, myofibrils and tubular structures remained unaltered in the left ventricular myocardium. Lifelong ethanol exposure increased the proportion of sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubules, apparently due to dilation of the tubular structures. Mitochondria were significantly larger in the ethanol-exposed rats compared to the control rats of the same age, while the volumetric proportion of mitochondria tended to decrease in the ethanol-exposed group. Fluorescence microscopic image analysis showed that myocardial lipopigmentation (proportion of myocardial area covered by autofluorescent lipopigments) was about two-fold in the old ethanol-exposed rats compared to the old control rats, and 13-fold compared to the young controls. It is concluded that ageing and chronic ethanol ingestion produce rather different patterns of alteration in myocardial ultrastructure, which does not support the concept of ethanol-induced accelerated ageing. The enhancement of myocardial lipofuscin accumulation is thought to reflect chronic oxidative stress in the hearts exposed to ethanol.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

Chronic ethanol exposure increases lipopigment accumulation in human heart.

The amount and distribution of myocardial lipopigments ('age pigments') were studied in alcoholic and control human hearts, to test the hypothesis of ethanol-induced long-term oxidative damage in myocardium. The amount of myocardial lipopigments was measured by image analysis in six men (age 34-60 years) who had a history of chronic alcohol misuse and who died of acute ethanol intoxication, and in their age-matched, non-alcoholic controls. Lipopigmentation in the intoxication cases was 33.5 +/- 2.8% (mean +/- SEM) higher compared to the controls in the eight myocardial areas studied (P < 0.001). A linear correlation of myocardial lipopigmentation with age was noticed in both the intoxication group (R = 0.894) and the controls (R = 0.927). The amount of lipopigments varied largely from one myocardial area to another, being highest in the most strained areas (left ventricle, interventricular septum). The accumulation of lipopigments is considered a marker of oxidative stress and ageing in the myocardium. The results support the role of free radical-induced oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced cardiac abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Sudden death caused by malignant testicular tumors].

Sudden unexpected death of apparent healthy young males due to malignant tumours are extremely rare in forensic autopsy material. We report on three such cases dying of pulmonary embolism caused by metastazing tumour of the testis. In each subject the tumour was localized to the right testis and consisted of two types of tumour tissue: Seminoma and embryonic carcinoma, the latter of which was always the metastazing one. Each of the cases represent different aspects of forensic medicine. In the first subject the tumour had remained undiagnosed in a recent medical examination. The second one underwent surgery because of acute abdomen and died intraoperatively and the third one died suddenly during antibiotic treatment, because the tumour had been mistakenly diagnosed as orchitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Traumatic, ischemic and toxic rhabdomyolysis].

Rhabdomyolysis with myoglobinuria and acute renal failure can develop from a variety of traumatic and nontraumatic reasons and the clinical as well as forensic significance of it may vary from an epiphenomenon with an excellent prognosis to the cause of death. We present altogether four autopsy cases in two of which the rhabdomyolysis was associated with an acute intoxication with alcohol (male, 41 years of age) or amitriptyline in combination with chlordiazepoxide (male, 52 years of age). In both these subjects the myoglobinuria was a secondary finding and not the cause of death. In the other two subjects the outcome of rhabdomyolysis associated myoglobinuria was lethal. In the first one (female, 18 years of age) the muscle injury was traumatic, caused by long-lasting compression and ischaemia of the lower limbs (classical crush-syndrome), the outcome of which in spite of the adequate therapy was lethal. In the other one (male, 20 years of age) the rhabdomyolytic myoglobinuria and subsequent acute renal failure occurred postoperatively after reconstructive surgery of one hand and the interruption of blood circulation to the corresponding arm for the time of a nerve reconstruction. The recovery of the patient was complicated by continuing electrolyte disturbances associated with metastatic tissue calcification, especially of the lungs, leading to progressive respiratory insufficiency and eventually to death.

Adolescent↗