Wound age estimation by simultaneous detection of 9 cytokines in human dermal wounds with a multiplex bead-based immunoassay: an estimative method using outsourced examinations.

Wound age estimation for human dermal wounds was performed based on quantification of interleukin 1beta (IL 1beta), IL 5, IL 7, IL 12 p70, IL 13, IL 17, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP 1), and macrophage inflammatory protein 1beta (MIP 1beta). IL 5, IL 12 p 70, IL 13, and IL 17 increased from the early phase, MCP 1 exclusively in the middle phase, and IL 1beta, G-CSF, and MIP 1beta from the middle phase to the late phase. IL 7 decreased from the early phase. Among the cytokines analyzed in the present study, MCP 1 was the most plentiful cytokine. In addition, an outsourced examination, which could be available to any forensic institute, was performed in two cases for confirmative purposes. Many factors have been proposed as markers for dermal wound age estimation, but the set of cytokines selected for the outsourced examination in the present study wound be useful in daily forensic practice.