In this study, total IgE and mast cell tryptase were measured in a series of forensic autopsy cases including non-allergic cardiac deaths (14 cases with minimal or no coronary atherosclerosis, 14 cases with significant coronary artery atherosclerosis without acute coronary thrombosis, and 14 cases with significant coronary artery atherosclerosis and acute coronary thrombosis or myocardial infarction) and non-allergic non-cardiac deaths (21 cases with death due to hanging and 21 cases with death due to intracranial gunshot wounds), in order to correlate laboratory results with morphological findings and compare them to conclusions reported in the clinical setting.