Bystin (BYSL) as a possible marker of severe hypoxic-ischemic changes in neuropathological examination of forensic cases

Bystin (BYSL) is a 306-amino acid protein encoded in humans by the BYSL gene located on the 6p21.1 chromosome. It is conserved across a wide range of eukaryotes. BYSL was reported to be a sensitive marker for the reactive astrocytes induced by ischemia/reperfusion and chemical hypoxia in vitro and is considered to be one of the common characteristics of astrogliosis. In our study we examined whether BYSL could be used as a marker for hypoxic-ischemic changes in forensic cases. Groups suspected of acute hypoxic-ischemic changes presented strong BYSL expression in the cytoplasm of neocortical neurons especially in layers 3–5, that seemed to be short-lasting. In the hypoxic-ischemic-reperfusion group we did not find BYSL expression. BYSL expression in the cytoplasm of cortical neurons was minimal in the control group (cardiac arrest). BYSL seems to be a promising early marker of severe hypoxic-ischemic changes in neuropathological examination of forensic cases and certainly requires further studies.