Xiangzhi Meng, M.D.,PH.D

E-mail Address: mengxiangzhi63@163.com

Office Address: 185# DongHu Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071

Position(s):

Professor

Affiliation(s):

Department of Forensic Medicine

Research interests / Specialties:

Sudden coronary death and diatom test

Education and Training

Medical Degree., 1981-1997 Sun Yat-sen Medical Universty, China

M.S.,1993-1997 Tongji Medical University, China

Ph.D., 2001-2004 Wuhan University, China

Visiting scholar, 1998-1999 University of Vienna, Austria

Research Description

My research investigate coronary sudden death and diatom test.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common cause for sudden and unexpected death. However, it is difficult to detect the myocardial changes in medico-legal practice with traditional macroscopic examination or routine histological stains when the sudden death occurs in the hyper-acute phase of infarction (<3h ). heart-type fatty acid binding protein (h-fabp) is a low molecular weight protein (14~15kda) with special tissue distribution, which is abundant in the cytoplasm of myocardial cells. it may play an important role in the uptake and oxygenation of long-chain fatty acids in cardiac myocyte. as myocardial cell membrane damaged by ischemia, h-fabp leaks to the extra-cellular space and enters the blood circulation very easily and quickly due to its small size and water soluble. it has been demonstrated that h-fabp is more sensitive and specific than myoglobin (mb) for clinical detection of ami within 12 hours after the onset of symptoms by quantifying its plasma concentration, because its molecule is smaller than that of mb (18kda) and it presents mainly in cardiomyocyte. my research demonstrate that the h-fabp can be used as a marker for detection of early myocardial ischemia.

The cause of death for the decomposed corpses retrieved from water remains a difficult issue in current forensic practice and a great number of tests have been proposed to support a confirmation or exclusion of drowning. The diagnostic value of diatom test for drowning is controversial among many medico-legal experts. Therefore, its use in differential diagnosis should be revalued.

Publication list

1. Meng X.Z., Fu C.J. and Cao T.Z. (1997) Cerebral Malacia Caused by Takayasu's Arteritis. Japanese Journal of Legal Medicine 51, 211–213.

2. Meng X.Z. (2001) Traffic injury or attempted infanticide? Forensic Scinece International 122,73 -74

3. Meng X.Z. Mei M., and Wang E.Y. (2006) Heart fatty acid binding protein as a marker for postmortem detection of early myocardial damage.Forensic Science International 160, 11–16.

4. Ming M, Meng X.Z., and Wang E.Y. (2007) Evaluation of four digestive methods for extrating diatoms. Forensic Science International 170,29-34

5. Guo W., Luo G.C., Wang H., and Meng X.Z. (2015) Homicide by Sch from a syringe-like dart ejected by a compound crossbow. Journal of Forensic and legal Medicine 30, 25-28.