Utility of soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) in the postmortem diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.

Purpose: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in developed countries. Postmortem IHD diagnosis using biochemical markers is difficult because of the postmortem changes. In the present study, we investigated the utility of soluble lectin-like low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) in body fluids obtained from forensic autopsy cases.

Methods: We measured pericardial fluid, urine, and serum sLOX-1 levels; these samples were obtained from medicolegal autopsy cases (n = 149, postmortem interval <72 h), and the utility of these biomarkers postmortem acute IHD diagnosis was evaluated.

Results: The pericardial fluid and urine of patients with acute IHD had higher sLOX-1 levels (p < .05) compared to the controls. No significant differences were found between the sLOX-1 level and the degree of coronary atherosclerosis, body mass index, and postmortem interval.

Conclusion: sLOX-1 levels in pericardial fluid and urine samples obtained postmortem are useful markers of acute IHD.