PMID- 12592588
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20030730
LR  - 20181113
IS  - 0937-9827 (Print)
IS  - 0937-9827 (Linking)
VI  - 117
IP  - 1
DP  - 2003 Feb
TI  - Immunohistochemical demonstration of the amphetamine derivatives 
      3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) 
      in human post-mortem brain tissues and the pituitary gland.
PG  - 2-9
AB  - Abuse of amphetamine derivatives such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) 
      and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) is an important issue in current forensic 
      practice and fatalities are not infrequent. Therefore, we investigated an 
      immunohistochemical method to detect the amphetamine analogues MDMA and MDA in 
      human tissues. For the staining procedure, the Catalysed Signal Amplification 
      (CSA) method using peroxidase (HRP) provided by Dako and specific monoclonal 
      antibodies were used. Appropriate controls for validation of the technique were 
      included. The distribution of these designer drugs was studied in various brain 
      regions including the four lobes, the basal ganglia, hypothalamus, hippocampus, 
      corpus callosum, medulla oblongata, pons, cerebellar vermis and, additionally, in 
      the pituitary gland. A distinct positive reaction was observed in all cortical 
      brain regions and the neurons of the basal ganglia, the hypothalamus, the 
      hippocampus and the cerebellar vermis but in the brainstem, relatively weak 
      staining of neurons was seen. The reaction presented as a mainly diffuse 
      cytoplasmic staining of the perikaryon of the neurons, and often axons and 
      dendrites were also visualised. In addition, the immunoreactivity was present in 
      the white matter. In the pituitary gland, however, distinct immunopositive cells 
      were observed, with a prominent heterogeneity. The immunohistochemical findings 
      were supported by the toxicological data. This immunostaining technique can be 
      used as evidence of intake or even poisoning with MDMA and/or MDA and can be an 
      interesting tool in forensic practice when the usual samples for toxicological 
      analysis are not available. Furthermore, this method can be used to investigate 
      the distribution of these substances in the human body.
FAU - De Letter, Els A
AU  - De Letter EA
AD  - Ghent University, Department of Forensic Medicine, J. Kluyskensstraat 29, 9000 
      Ghent, Belgium.
FAU - Espeel, Marc F A
AU  - Espeel MF
FAU - Craeymeersch, Marijke E C
AU  - Craeymeersch ME
FAU - Lambert, Willy E
AU  - Lambert WE
FAU - Clauwaert, Karine M
AU  - Clauwaert KM
FAU - Dams, Riet
AU  - Dams R
FAU - Mortier, Kjell A
AU  - Mortier KA
FAU - Piette, Michel H A
AU  - Piette MH
LA  - eng
PT  - Case Reports
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20030125
PL  - Germany
TA  - Int J Legal Med
JT  - International journal of legal medicine
JID - 9101456
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - 4764-17-4 (3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine/blood/*metabolism/poisoning
MH  - Adult
MH  - Brain/*metabolism
MH  - Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
MH  - Fatal Outcome
MH  - Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
MH  - Hallucinogens/blood/chemistry/*metabolism/poisoning
MH  - Humans
MH  - Immunohistochemistry
MH  - Male
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/blood/*metabolism/poisoning
MH  - Pituitary Gland/*metabolism
MH  - Substance Abuse Detection/*methods
MH  - Tissue Distribution
EDAT- 2003/02/20 04:00
MHDA- 2003/07/31 05:00
CRDT- 2003/02/20 04:00
PHST- 2001/10/01 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2001/12/20 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2003/02/20 04:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2003/07/31 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2003/02/20 04:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s00414-002-0290-2 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int J Legal Med. 2003 Feb;117(1):2-9. doi: 10.1007/s00414-002-0290-2. Epub 2003 
      Jan 25.