Morphological characteristic and assessment of changesin the main structural components of the histohematological barrier of the thyroid tissue in cases of the sudden cardiac death from alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

A retrospective analysis of acts of forensic medical autopsies from the archive of St. Petersburg GBUS BSME and a histological study of thyroid gland tissue in 188 cases (95 women and 93 men) were carried out with statistical processing of the obtained results for the purpose of studying and assessing the morphological changes in the main components of the histohematological barrier of thyroid gland tissue in cases of the sudden cardiac death from alcoholic cardiomyopathy. The decrease in the weight of the thyroid gland in the investigated cases and the revealed morphological signs, indicative of a decrease in the memory function of the thyroid gland were found and can be caused by the prolonged toxic effect of ethanol and its metabolites. Morphological changes in the endothelial lining of the vessels of the microcirculatory bed are caused both by the direct cytotoxic action of ethanol and its metabolites and by the action of mediators, the release of which occurs as a result of stimulation of the reactive cells, which leads to swelling, deformation and increased activity of endothelial cell membranes with the expansion of intercellular spaces and the development of increased permeability of the endothelial lining, which, in its turn, contributes to disruption of electrolyte transport and nutrients transport with changes trophism thyroid gland tissue, which is a substrate for the appearance of dystrophic and necrobiotic processes in main structural components of the histogematogenous barrier of the thyroid gland. The revealed morphological changes in thyroid gland tissue in cases of death from alcoholic cardiomyopathy have a non-specific nature and should be considered in conjunction with other visceral manifestations that are a reflection of alcohol intoxication during the chronic alcoholism.