Korean J Leg Med Search

CLOSE


Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 2005;29(2):156-162.
Published online October 31, 2005.
Affection of Enterovirus Infection in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Gi Yeong Huh, Yong Woo Ahn, Seong Hwan Park, Kwang Hoon Kim
1Department of Forensic Medicine, Pusan National University College of Medicine. gyhuh@pusan.ac.kr
2Department of Oral Medicine, Pusan National University College of Dentistry.
3Department of Forensic Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine.
4Forensic Medicine Division, National Institute of Scientific Investigation Southern District Office.
Abstract
There are more than 120 different theories on the possible cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Recent studies indicate a possible role of infections in SIDS, one of which suggested that a maximum percentage of up to 43.5% of SIDS showed virus-induced myocardial affection. The enterovirus, mainly the cardiotropic coxsackievirus group B, serotypes B1-B5, which causes most of viral myocarditis in infancy, seems to be the most common virus associated with SIDS. The aim of our study was to investigate the enterovirus-induced myocardial affections in cases of SIDS. All 7 cases of postmortem heart samples from SIDS victims were studied. Postmortem heart samples of non-SIDS death in perinatal period, infancy and young childhood, pediatric cases of myocarditis and unnatural death in young adult were served as controls. An immunohistochemical study was performed on all samples using monoclonal mouse anti-enterovirus antibody and anti-LCA with quantification of positive cells. Our results demonstrated that 2 of 7 cases of SIDS showed strong immunoreactivity in the myocardium against antienterovirus antibody and there was more inflammatory cell infiltrate in SIDS cases than controls. Our study suggests that the enteroviral myocardial affection would be a possible role in pathogenesis of SIDS.
Key Words: SIDS, enterovirus, myocardium, immunohistochemistry


ABOUT
ARTICLE CATEGORY

Browse all articles >

BROWSE ARTICLES
EDITORIAL POLICY
FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Editorial Office
Department of Forensic Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine,
49 Busandaehak-ro, Mulgeum-eup, Yangsan 50612, Korea
Tel: +82-51-510-8051    Fax: +82-55-360-1865    E-mail: pdrdream@gmail.com                

Copyright © 2025 by The Korean Society for Legal Medicine.

Developed in M2PI

Close layer
prev next