Journal of Forensic Medicine ›› 2022, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 374-384.DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2021.410816

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Research Progress and Forensic Application of Postmortem Genetic Testing in Hereditary Cardiac Diseases

Yi-ming DONG(), Chen-teng YANG, Guo-zhong ZHANG(), Bin CONG()   

  1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
  • Received:2021-08-25 Online:2022-06-25 Published:2022-06-28
  • Contact: Guo-zhong ZHANG,Bin CONG

Abstract:

Hereditary cardiac disease accounts for a large proportion of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young adults. Hereditary cardiac disease can be divided into hereditary structural heart disease and channelopathies. Hereditary structural heart disease mainly includes hereditary cardiomyopathy, which results in arhythmia, heart failure and SCD. The autopsy and histopathological examinations of SCD caused by channelopathies lack characteristic morphological manifestations. Therefore, how to determine the cause of death in the process of examination has become one of the urgent problems to be solved in forensic identification. Based on the review of recent domestic and foreign research results on channelopathies and hereditary cardiomyopathy, this paper systematically reviews the pathogenesis and molecular genetics of channelopathies and hereditary cardiomyopathy, and discusses the application of postmortem genetic testing in forensic identification, to provide reference for forensic pathology research and identification of SCD.

Key words: forensic pathology, sudden cardiac death, hereditary cardiomyopathy, channelopathies, postmortem genetic testing, review

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