Distinguishing antemortem from postmortem injuries by LTB4 quantification.

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in skin samples from seven forensic cases was detected by HPLC to distinguish their antemortem or postmortem origin. In total, there were thirteen antemortem and seven postmortem specimens. The results showed that LTB4 was found in all antemortem wound specimens which were either fresh, or refrigerated or fixed in formalin for less than 10 days. In contrast, LTB4 could not be detected in postmortem wound specimens. These results suggested that detecting the content of LTB4 is a useful method for distinguishing antemortem from postmortem injuries.