PMID- 34098473
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20210811
LR  - 20210811
IS  - 1872-6283 (Electronic)
IS  - 0379-0738 (Linking)
VI  - 325
DP  - 2021 Aug
TI  - Direct and specific analysis of nitrite and nitrate in biological and 
      non-biological samples by capillary ion analysis for the rapid identification of 
      fatal intoxications with sodium nitrite.
PG  - 110855
LID - S0379-0738(21)00175-4 [pii]
LID - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110855 [doi]
AB  - In recent years, a significant increase of reports about suicidal cases due to 
      intentional sodium nitrite intake has been described. In the forensic pathology 
      context, the strategy to approach intoxication cases by sodium nitrite, without 
      any preliminary information or hint, is not straightforward. Indeed, in a number 
      of cases the lack of crime scene data and/or specific pathological signs makes 
      difficult the identification of nitrite poisoning. Moreover, the analytical 
      determination of nitrite in blood is challenging, due to its rapid oxidization to 
      nitrate by hemoglobin. Although several methods have been proposed for the 
      clinical analysis of nitrate and/or nitrite in biological samples, none of these 
      is specifically focused on the determination of these ions in cadaveric samples. 
      Consequently, the diagnosis of nitrite fatal intoxication is still based on 
      methemoglobin analysis. The present paper reports the optimization and validation 
      of an analytical method of capillary ion analysis (CIA) with UV detection, for 
      the determination of nitrite and nitrate in biological fluids and its application 
      to two authentic cases of death by nitrite intake. The analyses were carried out 
      in a bare fused-silica capillary (75 microm inner diameter) using 100 mM sodium 
      tetraborate (pH 9.24) as background electrolyte and applying a voltage of - 15 kV 
      between the capillary ends. The detection was obtained by direct UV absorption 
      recorded at 214 nm wavelength. Bromide was used as the internal standard. 
      Linearity was established in the range of 0.25-5 mmol/L). Reproducibility 
      (intraday and day-to-day) was characterized by relative standard deviations 
      (RSDs) 14.7% for peak areas. The method was applied to the determination of 
      nitrite and nitrate in two real forensic cases, where high concentrations of 
      nitrate were found in cadaveric blood samples (6.5 and 4.4 mmol/L, respectively). 
      Nitrite was found only in trace amounts, due to the instability of this ion in 
      cadaveric blood where it is oxidized to nitrate. The present method represents a 
      new tool for the direct and rapid determination of nitrite and nitrate in cases 
      of forensic interest, and thus offers a diagnostic tool more sensitive and 
      precise than the need methemoglobin analysis.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
FAU - Taus, Francesco
AU  - Taus F
AD  - Unit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, 
      University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10-37134, Verona, Italy.
FAU - Pigaiani, Nicola
AU  - Pigaiani N
AD  - Unit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, 
      University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10-37134, Verona, Italy.
FAU - Bortolotti, Federica
AU  - Bortolotti F
AD  - Unit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, 
      University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10-37134, Verona, Italy.
FAU - Mazzoleni, Guido
AU  - Mazzoleni G
AD  - Pathology Service South Tyrol Local Health Authority, Via Lorenzo Bohler, 5-39100 
      Bolzano, Italy.
FAU - Brevi, Michele
AU  - Brevi M
AD  - Unit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, 
      University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10-37134, Verona, Italy.
FAU - Tagliaro, Franco
AU  - Tagliaro F
AD  - Unit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, 
      University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10-37134, Verona, Italy; World-Class 
      Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", Sechenov First 
      Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
FAU - Gottardo, Rossella
AU  - Gottardo R
AD  - Unit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, 
      University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10-37134, Verona, Italy. Electronic 
      address: rossella.gottardo@univr.it.
LA  - eng
PT  - Case Reports
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20210601
PL  - Ireland
TA  - Forensic Sci Int
JT  - Forensic science international
JID - 7902034
RN  - 0 (Nitrates)
RN  - M0KG633D4F (Sodium Nitrite)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Electrophoresis, Capillary/*methods
MH  - Forensic Toxicology/methods
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Nitrates/*blood
MH  - Poisoning/diagnosis
MH  - Reproducibility of Results
MH  - Sodium Nitrite/*poisoning
MH  - Ultraviolet Rays
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Capillary electrophoresis
OT  - Fatalities
OT  - Nitrate
OT  - Nitrite
COIS- Conflict of interest The authors have declared no conflict of interest.
EDAT- 2021/06/08 06:00
MHDA- 2021/08/12 06:00
CRDT- 2021/06/07 20:29
PHST- 2021/03/16 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2021/05/22 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2021/05/25 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2021/06/08 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/08/12 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2021/06/07 20:29 [entrez]
AID - S0379-0738(21)00175-4 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110855 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Forensic Sci Int. 2021 Aug;325:110855. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110855. Epub 
      2021 Jun 1.