Experimental studies on the kinetics of early postmortem decay of the lymphocyte membrane. Remarks about its application to forensic hemogenetics and to cornea transplantation.

Tests on human and animal cadavers were carried out to investigate the early postmortem decay of the lymphocyte membrane HLA-typing of cool-kept human cadavers can be performed within the first 36 h after death. Hereby, a possibility is obtained to determine HLA-ABC antigens of the deceased for hemogenetic or cornea transplantation purposes. The data obtained from animal experiments give evidence that the decay of the lymphocyte membrane follows a function of the Verhult's type. Using this function, it is possible to estimate the rate constant as a function of temperature.