Estimation of postmortem interval using top-down HPLC–MS analysis of peptide fragments in vitreous humour: A pilot study

• Published in: International journal of mass spectrometry 2023-01, Vol.483, p.116952, Article 116952
• Main Authors: Boroumand, Mozhgan, Grassi, Vincenzo M., Castagnola, Flaminia, De-Giorgio, Fabio, d’Aloja, Ernesto, Vetrugno, Giuseppe, Pascali, Vincenzo L., Vincenzoni, Federica, Iavarone, Federica, Faa, Gavino, Castagnola, Massimo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Forensic autopsy; Peptide fragments; Postmortem interval; Postmortem investigation; Time of death; Top-down HPLC–MS analysis; Vitreous humour
• ISSN: 1387-3806; 1873-2798
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijms.2022.116952

This study reports the detection of a set of 35 peptide fragments and 7 intact proteins in the vitreous humour using a top-down proteomic platform based on high-resolution HPLC–MS and MS/MS analysis. The concentrations of thymosin β4 (R = 0.932) and two peptide fragments (i.e., vimentin fragment (Fr.) 443–465 (R = 0.998) and polyubiquitin Fr. 1–73 (R = 0.968)) were observed to have very strong linear correlations with postmortem intervals. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD037095. These preliminary results suggest that some biochemical molecular events are linearly related to the postmortem interval and that the concentrations of these peptides and fragments can be clinically useful in establishing the time of death if measured within the first 160 h postmortem. [Display omitted] •A new application of proteomics of the vitreous humour to estimate the postmortem interval has been proposed.•MEROPS software was used to identify the proteases hypothetically responsible for the generation of 35 peptide fragments.•The concentrations of thymosin β4, vimentin and polyubiquitin fragments showed a strong correlation with postmortem interval.