Anat Cell Biol.  2020 Sep;53(3):284-291. 10.5115/acb.20.094.

The estimation of age from elastic fibers in the tunica media of the aortic wall in a thai population: a preliminary study using aorta image analysis

• Komutrattananont P
• Palee P
• Prasitwattanaseree S
• Mahakkanukrauh P

• KMID: 2507641
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5115/acb.20.094

Abstract

Image analysis has an increasing role in the identification of individuals in forensic application. Beside the bones, microstructural of arteries can be used in age estimation study. Aorta is the largest elastic artery which consists of many elastic fibers. Elastin in arterial wall highly resist to chemical and physical influence. The purposes of the study were to quantify elastic fibers in tunica media in each location of the aorta and examine the correlation between elastic fibers and age by using image analysis program. A total of 36 human aortas were dissected in 4 locations. The aortas were obtained from cadavers with an age range of 20 to 90 years. Specimens were stained with Elastic Van Gieson staining. Histological images were investigated about elastic fibers using light microscope with cellSens program and aorta image analysis was used for the evaluation of data. The results showed that the mean percentage density of elastic fibers in the ascending aorta and the aortic arch increased. However, the mean percentage density of elastic fibers decreased in the 31 to 40 years age group in the thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta and decreased in each location of aorta continuously until 81 to 90 years. The abdominal aorta showed the highest correlation with age (r=0.732) followed by the thoracic aorta, the aortic arch and the ascending aorta, respectively. Changes in the percentage density of elastic fibers in the tunica media of the aortic wall can be used to add information to age estimation for identification purposes.

Keyword

Aorta; Elastic fibers; Age estimation; Image analysis; Tunica media

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Image analysis steps. CIELAB, International Commission on Illumination.

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  Fig. 2 Demonstration of the analyzed picture of the aortic segment using Aorta Image Analysis program. Percentage density of elastic fibers in tunica media of the aorta. White color, elastic fibers (region of interest); Black color, sections of no-interest.

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  Fig. 3 Example of elastic fibers in tunica media from the abdominal aorta at different ages (Elastic Van Gieson, ×40). (A) A 20 years of human aorta, (B) 43 years of human aorta, (C) 61 years of human aorta, (D) 81 years of human aorta. Scale Bars=20 μm (A–D).

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  Fig. 4 The bar chart showing mean percentage density of elastic fibers in various age groups.

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  Fig. 5 The scatter plot showing mean percentage density of elastic fibers in various age groups with different locations of the aorta. (A) Ascending aorta, (B) aortic arch, (C) thoracic aorta, (D) abdominal aorta.

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  Fig. 6 The scatter plot showing the correlation coefficient with age in different locations of the aorta.

Reference

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