Use of Glycophorin in Forensic Medicine

Overview

Immunohistological evidence of glycophorin from paraffin sections of tissues fixed with formol,makes its possible to visualize membranes of preserved erythrocytes and fragments after theirdisintegration.This fact permits even after development of post-mortem changes to differentiateactual extravasation, manifested by a positive finding of glycophorin from mere infiltration oftissue by blood pigment after death, where glycophorin is lacking.The method is very sensitive and can reveal even very discrete haemorrhage.From different grades of erythrocyte disintegration in haematomas in the same subject someti-mes conclusions can be drawn also on the different time of development of traumatic tissuechanges.

Key words:
glycophorin - haematoma - haemoglobin infiltration - postmortem changes