Post-Mortem Infarction Diagnosis Using Molecular Techniques

Abstract

The cardiovascular system plays a major role in life. From the past up to now, one of the main causes of death is cardiac infarction. Heart is the most important organ of this system and its function is to transfer blood and its contents to the whole body. There is a direct line through pulmonary artery to the lungs, so blood can be fleshed out with oxygen. Infarction is a severe damage in a localized site of the heart, which leads to that part’s necrosis. There are symptoms reported, such as discomfort, ache and others that are analysed below. Post-mortem examination of the cardiac muscle is a basic way to find out information about infarction. There are alterations, depended on the time between the infarction and the observation of the heart. Nowadays, science and technology progress allows us to use molecular biology techniques as a tool to be accurate and detailed about diagnosis. There are dilutions and machinery which can save time and provide results beyond a doubt. Immunohistochemistry and Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction are such techniques, which can detect and quantify the class of infarction. These techniques are analysed below, including with some subcategories of the ways we can use them.