Browsing by Author "Dodge, Chelsea"

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    DNA/RNA Degradation Rate in Fixed Tissue
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Cook, Shannon; Dodge, Chelsea; Morgan, Randy; Sandusky, George E.
    In today’s research driven society, it has become commonplace for institutions to rely upon DNA and RNA extraction techniques to help obtain genomic data from old specimens. Generally, specimens were commonly preserved for future gross examination and/or teaching. Using histological examination of specimens from museum jars from the Pathology Department at the Indiana University School of Medicine, the sequential and chronological degradation of DNA and RNA has been studied. We examined gross specimens from nine decades from 1920 until 2000. We evaluated histologic preservation of nuclear structure in these samples. Nuclear preservation was based on amount of nuclei per 20x microscopic field, the crispness of the nuclear membrane and internal features. The nuclei in high lipid tissues such as the brain were found to degrade at a quicker rate than dense proteinaceous structures such as the heart and uterus. Our study has shown specimens preserved beyond roughly fifty years are likely to have little to no nuclei left, thus indicating that there was little to no DNA and RNA remaining. This technique of histologic evaluation is an important finding and general guideline which may save research institutions from the expensive process of DNA and RNA extraction
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    DNA/RNA Degradation Rate in Long Term Fixed Museum Specimens
    (2014-04-11) Cook, Shannon; Dodge, Chelsea; Morgan, Randy; Sandusky, George E.
    In today’s research driven society, it has become commonplace for institutions to rely upon DNA and RNA extraction techniques to help obtain genomic data from old specimens. Generally, specimens were commonly preserved for future gross examination and/or teaching. Using histological examination of specimens from museum jars from the Pathology Department at the Indiana University School of Medicine, the sequential and chronological degradation of DNA and RNA has been studied. We examined gross specimens from nine decades from 1920 until 2000. We evaluated histologic preservation of kidney, liver, heart, lung, spleen, uterus, and brain for nuclear structure in these samples. Nuclear preservation was based on amount of nuclei per 20x microscopic field and the crispness of the nuclear membrane and internal features. The nuclei in high lipid tissues such as the brain were found to degrade at a quicker rate than dense tissues such as the heart and uterus. Our study has shown specimens preserved beyond fifty years were likely to have little to no nuclei left, thus indicating that there was little to no DNA and RNA remaining. This technique of histologic evaluation first is an important finding and a general guideline which may save research institutions from the expensive process of DNA and RNA extraction.
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    Natural Cardiac Deaths in Central Indiana
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Dodge, Chelsea; Lloyd, Frank, Jr.; Ballew, Alfie; Sandusky, George E.
    Cardiovascular disease is still the major cause of death in the USA for the past 50 to 60 years. Within cardiovascular disease there are many subtypes that cause death including hypertensive heart disease, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardiomegaly, and misc.). In this review study we examined the Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana Morgue, Indiana database for the total of deaths that occurred between 2004 through 2012 and evaluated the number of cardiovascular deaths including the various CV subtypes mentioned above. There were approximately 13,000 deaths examined that were sent to the Marion County Morgue during that time frame in Central Indiana. Approximately 2950 deaths were due to CV disease (22.6%). Total ischemia (coronary artery disease) was 1939 made up the majority of the CV related deaths. This was followed by hypertensive heart disease (571) and congestive heart failure (189). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (89), cardiomegaly (16), and cardiac tamponade (11) made up the rest. Cardiac arrhythmias and myocarditis made up the remaining CV causes of death (131). In a previous study done at the Marion County Morgue from 1987 to 2003 focused on hypertensive CV disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy found 165 deaths and 134 deaths respectively. Compared to the previous local study in the same population the incidence of hypertensive heart disease was moderately increased. There was not much difference between hypertrophic cardiomyopathy between the two studies. Both studies are fairly consistent when compared to national statistics on cardiovascular death in the country.