Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός = Dead) is the name given to accidental death of cells and living tissue. Necrosis is less orderly than apoptosis, which is part of programmed cell death. In contrast with apoptosis, cleanup of cell debris by phagocytes of the immune system is generally more difficult, as the disorderly death generally does not send cell signals which tell nearby phagocytes to engulf the dying cell. This lack of signaling makes it harder for the immune system to locate and recycle dead cells which have died through necrosis than if the cell had undergone apoptosis. The release of intracellular content after cellular membrane damage is the cause of inflammation in necrosis.
Morphological Markers
always pathological
involves sheets of cells
energy independent
cell swelling and mitochondrial damage leading to rapid depletion of energy levels
a breakdown of homeostatic control
cell membrane integrity lost
nuclei lost, no DNA cleavage.
cell release of the intracellular contents, leading to an inflammatory response.
dead cells ingested by neutrophils and macrophages
references: necrosis vs. apoptosis, apoptosis&necrosis, cell death: necrosis&apoptosis
beta-Glucuronidase
a lysosomal hydrolase, is a possible
serological marker for histological hepatic cell necrosis and to
predict the histological progression of hepatitis.
PMID: 1655603
BV2
a specific marker of avian programmed cell
death in both apoptosis and necrosis.
PMID: 8078937
Cardiac Troponin
a biological marker for the diagnosis of myocardial necrosis. PMID: 15776693
Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI)
the best way to detect and quantify the size
of myocardial necrosis created by radiofrequency ablation.
PMID: 9842005
C-reactive protein
predict myocardial necrosis after successful
coronary stenting in patients with stable angina.
PMID: 16781234
an important prognostic marker of pancreatic
necrosis with the highest sensitivity and negative prognostic
value given the cut-off is 110 mg/l. The patients with
C-reactive protein below 110 mg/l are low risk to develop
pancreatic necrosis.
PMID: 15007272
Creatine Kinase MB (CPK-MB)
an early diagnostic biochemical marker of
myocardial necrosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
PMID: 17151819
may be used to estimate the volume of the
necrosis.
PMID: 9842005
Factor VIII procoagulant (FVIIIPC)
a plasma glycoprotein cofactor for activated
factor IX, is a marker of fibrinoid necrosis in normal term
human placentae.
PMID: 1901088
H-FABP (Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein)
a new biochemical marker of sarcolemmal
injury due to acute myocardial ischemia, can be used as an early
diagnostic biochemical marker of myocardial necrosis in patients
with acute coronary syndrome.
PMID: 17151819
We review the strengths and weaknesses of
H-FABP as a clinically applicable marker of myocyte necrosis in
the context of acute coronary syndromes.
PMID: 15028848
HNK-1
a new marker for thin ascending loop of Henle
and tubular injury in acute tubular necrosis.
PMID: 16401697
Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (ICDH)
a marker of centrilobular hepatic necrosis in
patients with hyperthyroidism.
PMID: 11468437
a marker of centrilobular hepatic necrosis in the experimental model of rats. PMID: 11339426
IL-6
serum interleukin-6 is a very reliable marker
of necrosis in the first 48 hours of acute biliary pancreatitis.
PMID: 9148369
IL-18 (Interleukin-18)
a marker of human acute tubular necrosis.
PMID: 14981598
Lactate Dehydrogenase
(LDH)
a necrosis marker.
PMID: 15150283
Myoglobin
an oxygen-binding protein, is synthesized
exclusively in striated and cardiac muscle, and is normally
found in blood, is released only after muscular necrosis. Serum
myoglobin assessment constitutes a very early marker of
myocardial damage.
PMID: 3594945
Myosin
a necrosis marker: update and trends.
PMID: 8304809
Procalcitonin (PCT)
PCT and IL-6 combination might be surrogate
marker of infected pancreatic necrosis and should be preferred
to other markers assay especially in severe pancreatitis.
PMID: 15230799
S-IRPH (serum immunoreactive prolyl
4-hydroxylase)
a specific marker for hepatic necrosis.
PMID: 1319223,
PMID: 2170064
Tenascin-C
a marker of piecemeal necrosis activity in
patients with chronic hepatitis C.
PMID: 16584393
TNF-alpha
Amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha is
a marker for the prediction of early-onset neonatal sepsis in
patients with preterm labor and intact membranes.
PMID: 15148449
a marker of complicated parapneumonic
effusions.
PMID: 14718436
a marker for peritoneal adhesion formation.
PMID: 7745964
TNF-R1
serum concentration of sTNF-R1 can be a
sensitive marker of activity of psoriasis vulgaris and decreases
following the effective treatment.
PMID: 16095152
Troponin I
a newly available biochemical marker with a
high cardiac specificity. Monitoring of cTnI is the best way to
detect and quantify the size of myocardial necrosis created by
radiofrequency ablation.
PMID: 9842005
Troponin T
a sensitive necrosis marker.
PMID: 17151819
Other Necrosis Markers
Propidium Iodide
(PI): apoptotic cells undergo secondary necrosis, which
could be recognized with PI, is late
apoptosis/necrosis marker.
PMID: 10639571
AIVR (accelerated idioventricular rhythm) occurring during persistent ischemic chest pain is a marker for both myocardial necrosis and reperfusion of the infarct vessel. PMID: 3341199