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Taylor GM, White-Iribhogbe K, Cole G, Ashby D, Stewart GR, Dawson-Hobbis H. Bioarchaeological investigation of individuals with suspected multibacillary leprosy from the mediaeval leprosarium of St Mary Magdalen, Winchester, Hampshire, UK. J Med Microbiol 2024; 73. [PMID: 38362924 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction. We have examined four burials from the St Mary Magdalen mediaeval leprosarium cemetery in Winchester, Hampshire, UK. One (Sk.8) was a male child, two (Sk.45 and Sk.52) were adolescent females and the fourth (Sk.512) was an adult male. The cemetery was in use between the 10th and 12th centuries. All showed skeletal lesions of leprosy. Additionally, one of the two females (Sk.45) had lesions suggestive of multi-cystic tuberculosis and the second (Sk.52) of leprogenic odontodysplasia (LO), a rare malformation of the roots of the permanent maxillary incisors.Gap statement. Relatively little is known of the manifestations of lepromatous leprosy (LL) in younger individuals from the archaeological record.Aims and Methodology. To address this, we have used ancient DNA testing and osteological examination of the individuals, supplemented with X-ray and microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) scan as necessary to assess the disease status.Results and Conclusions. The presence of Mycobacterium leprae DNA was confirmed in both females, and genotyping showed SNP type 3I-1 strains but with a clear genotypic variation. We could not confirm Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA in the female individual SK.45. High levels of M. leprae DNA were found within the pulp cavities of four maxillary teeth from the male child (Sk.8) with LO, consistent with the theory that the replication of M. leprae in alveolar bone may interfere with root formation at key stages of development. We report our biomolecular findings in these individuals and review the evidence this site has contributed to our knowledge of mediaeval leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Michael Taylor
- Department of Microbial Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
| | - Katie White-Iribhogbe
- Centre of African Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG, UK
| | - Garrard Cole
- UCL Institute of Archaeology, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - David Ashby
- School of History, Archaeology and Philosophy, University of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 4NR, UK
| | - Graham R Stewart
- Department of Microbial Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
| | - Heidi Dawson-Hobbis
- School of History, Archaeology and Philosophy, University of Winchester, Sparkford Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 4NR, UK
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Spekker O, Kiss P. A, Kis L, Király K, Varga S, Marcsik A, Schütz O, Török T, Hunt DR, Tihanyi B. White plague among the "forgotten people" from the Barbaricum of the Carpathian Basin-Cases with tuberculosis from the Sarmatian-period (3rd-4th centuries CE) archaeological site of Hódmezővásárhely-Kenyere-ér, Bereczki-tanya (Hungary). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0294762. [PMID: 38198442 PMCID: PMC10781108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that is well-known in the palaeopathological record because it can affect the skeleton and consequently leaves readily identifiable macroscopic alterations. Palaeopathological case studies provide invaluable information about the spatio-temporal distribution of TB in the past. This is true for those archaeological periods and geographical regions from when and where no or very few TB cases have been published until now-as in the Sarmatian period (1st-5th centuries CE) in the Barbaricum of the Carpathian Basin. The aim of our paper is to discuss five newly discovered TB cases (HK199, HK201, HK225, HK253, and HK309) from the Sarmatian-period archaeological site of Hódmezővásárhely-Kenyere-ér, Bereczki-tanya (Csongrád-Csanád county, Hungary). Detailed macromorphological evaluation of the skeletons focused on the detection of bony changes likely associated with different forms of TB. In all five cases, the presence of endocranial alterations (especially TB-specific granular impressions) suggests that these individuals suffered from TB meningitis. Furthermore, the skeletal lesions observed in the spine and both hip joints of HK225 indicate that this juvenile also had multifocal osteoarticular TB. Thanks to the discovery of HK199, HK201, HK225, HK253, and HK309, the number of TB cases known from the Sarmatian-period Carpathian Basin doubled, implying that the disease was likely more frequent in the Barbaricum than previously thought. Without the application of granular impressions, the diagnosis of TB could not have been established in these five cases. Thus, the identification of TB in these individuals highlights the importance of diagnostics development, especially the refinement of diagnostic criteria. Based on the above, the systematic macromorphological (re-)evaluation of osteoarchaeological series from the Sarmatian-period Carpathian Basin would be advantageous to provide a more accurate picture of how TB may have impacted the ancestral human communities of the Barbaricum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Ancient and Modern Human Genomics Competence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Kiss P.
- Department of Early Hungarian and Migration Period Archaeology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Luca Kis
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kitty Király
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeology, Móra Ferenc Museum, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sándor Varga
- Department of Archaeology, Móra Ferenc Museum, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Antónia Marcsik
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Oszkár Schütz
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tibor Török
- Ancient and Modern Human Genomics Competence Centre, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - David R. Hunt
- Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Northern District, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Balázs Tihanyi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Budapest, Hungary
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Spekker O, Hunt DR, Király K, Kis L, Madai Á, Szalontai C, Molnár E, Pálfi G. Lumbosacral tuberculosis, a rare manifestation of Pott's disease - How identified human skeletons from the pre-antibiotic era can be used as reference cases to establish a palaeopathological diagnosis of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 138:102287. [PMID: 36450192 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2022.102287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The macromorphological examination of identified human osteological collections from the pre-antibiotic era (e.g., Terry Collection) can provide invaluable information about the skeletal manifestations of tuberculosis (TB) in individuals who did not receive pharmaceutical therapy. With analysis of such collections, new diagnostic criteria for TB can be recognised which can be used in palaeopathological interpretation. The aim of our paper is to provide a reference and aid for the identification of TB in past populations by demonstrating and discussing in detail the vertebral alterations indicative of one of its rare skeletal manifestations, lumbosacral TB. These changes were detected in two individuals from the Terry Collection (Terry No. 760 and Terry No. 1093). These two case studies furnish palaeopathologists with a stronger basis for diagnosing lumbosacral TB in skeletons which exhibit similar vertebral lesions from osteoarchaeological series. To illustrate this, an archaeological case from Hungary (KK146) is also presented, displaying vertebral alterations resembling that of the two cases from the Terry Collection. Through the demonstrated case studies, we can derive a better insight into the disease experience of people who lived in the past and suffered from TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Múzeum körút 4/B, H-1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - David R Hunt
- Northern Virginia District Office of the Chief Medical Examiners, 10850 Pyramid Place, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA.
| | - Kitty Király
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Móra Ferenc Museum, Roosevelt tér 1-3, H-6720, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Luca Kis
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Department of Archaeogenetics, Institute of Hungarian Research, Úri utca 54-56, H-1014, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Ágota Madai
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary; Department of Anthropology, Hungarian National History Museum, Ludovika tér 2-6, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Csaba Szalontai
- National Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian National Museum, Múzeum körút 14-16, H-1088, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Erika Molnár
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - György Pálfi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726, Szeged, Hungary.
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Shillito LM, Namdeo A, Bapat AV, Mackay H, Haddow SD. Analysis of fine particulates from fuel burning in a reconstructed building at Çatalhöyük World Heritage Site, Turkey: assessing air pollution in prehistoric settled communities. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2022; 44:1033-1048. [PMID: 34155558 PMCID: PMC8863713 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-01000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The use of wood, dung and other biomass fuels can be traced back to early prehistory. While the study of prehistoric fuel use and its environmental impacts is well established, there has been little investigation of the health impacts this would have had, particularly in the Neolithic period, when people went from living in relatively small groups, to living in dense settlements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Çatalhöyük, Turkey, is one of the earliest large 'pre-urban' settlements in the world. In 2017, a series of experiments were conducted to measure fine particulate (PM2.5) concentrations during typical fuel burning activities, using wood and dung fuel. The results indicate that emissions from both fuels surpassed the WHO and EU standard limits for indoor air quality, with dung fuel being the highest contributor for PM2.5 pollution inside the house, producing maximum values > 150,000 µg m-3. Maximum levels from wood burning were 36,000 µg m-3. Average values over a 2-3 h period were 13-60,000 µg m-3 for dung and 10-45,000 µg m-3 for wood. The structure of the house, lack of ventilation and design of the oven and hearth influenced the air quality inside the house. These observations have implications for understanding the relationship between health and the built environment in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Shillito
- School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - Anil Namdeo
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Helen Mackay
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Scott D Haddow
- Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
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A case of childhood tuberculosis from late mediaeval Somerset, England. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2021; 128:102088. [PMID: 34022508 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2021.102088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The remains of a 3-5 year-old child from the late mediaeval cemetery serving the Priory of St. Peter and St. Paul, Taunton, Somerset, UK was the subject of an aDNA study. OBJECTIVE The aim was to distinguish between two differential diagnoses suggested by earlier osteological examination of the remains; either tuberculosis or Langerhans cell histiocytosis. FINDINGS The remains tested positive for MTB complex markers, corroborating this diagnosis reached on osteological grounds. Based on positivity for the mtp40 element and a deletion in the pks15/1 locus, we conclude that infection was due to a strain of the human pathogen M.tuberculosis belonging to lineage 4. Although DNA recovered from the case was heavily fragmented, sex determination by amelogenin PCR suggested these are the remains of a young male child. The findings are discussed considering additions to the literature since the original report. CONCLUSIONS Descriptions of tuberculosis in children from this period are rare and burial Sk2077 represents the first UK example of a pre-adolescent individual to have a molecular diagnosis combined with osteological pathology. This provides an important reference of childhood tuberculosis and insight into the likely presence of tuberculosis in the mediaeval adult population served by this cemetery.
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Spekker O, Kis L, Deák A, Makai E, Pálfi G, Váradi OA, Molnár E. An unusual case of childhood osteoarticular tuberculosis from the Árpádian Age cemetery of Győrszentiván-Révhegyi tag (Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249939. [PMID: 33852636 PMCID: PMC8046221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ancient human remains exhibiting bony changes consistent with osteoarticular tuberculosis (OATB) indicate that the disease has afflicted mankind for millennia. Nonetheless, not many pediatric OATB cases have been published in the paleopathological literature–from Hungary, only three cases have been described up to now. In our paper, we demonstrate a child (S0603) from the Árpádian Age cemetery of Győrszentiván-Révhegyi tag (northwestern Hungary), who represents a unique case of OATB regarding both the pattern and severity of the observed bony changes. During the macromorphological and radiological investigations, the most serious alterations were discovered in the upper thoracic spine–the development of osteolytic lesions led to severe bone loss and consequent collapse and fusion of several adjacent vertebrae. The pathological process terminated in a sharp, rigid angular kyphosis. Disruption of the normal spine curvature resulted in consequent deformation of the whole thoracic wall–it became “rugby-ball-shaped”. The overall nature and pattern of the detected alterations, as well as their resemblance to those of described in previously published archaeological and modern cases from the pre-antibiotic era indicate that they are most consistent with OATB. Based on the severity and extent of the lesions, as well as on the evidence of secondary healing, S0603 suffered from TB for a long time prior to death. Besides body deformation, OATB resulted in consequent disability in daily activities, which would have required regular and significant care from others to survive. It implies that in the Árpádian Age community of Győrszentiván-Révhegyi tag, there was a willingness to care for people in need. Detailed archaeological case studies can give us a unique insight into the natural history and different presentations of OATB. Furthermore, they can provide paleopathologists with a stronger basis for diagnosing TB and consequently, with a more sensitive means of assessing TB frequency in past populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Spekker
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Luca Kis
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Andrea Deák
- Rómer Flóris Museum of Art and History, Győr, Hungary
| | - Eszter Makai
- Department of Radiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - György Pálfi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Anna Váradi
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Erika Molnár
- Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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Gooderham E, Marinho L, Spake L, Fisk S, Prates C, Sousa S, Oliveira C, Santos AL, Cardoso HFV. Severe skeletal lesions, osteopenia and growth deficit in a child with pulmonary tuberculosis (mid-20th century, Portugal). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 30:47-56. [PMID: 32464525 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This case-study provides a summary of skeletal lesions seen in a case of diagnosed juvenile pulmonary tuberculosis with extensive multifocal bony lesions. MATERIALS Skeleton of a 9-year-old girl who died in the 1940s in Lisbon, Portugal. The remains of this individual are part of the Lisbon skeletal reference collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History and Science. METHODS Lesions and paleopathological conditions were identified and documented through macroscopic, radiographic, computed tomographic, and mammographic analysis. RESULTS The skeleton shows a variety of lytic lesions on the ribs and thoracic vertebrae including complete destruction of the bodies and fusion of the vertebral arches of four vertebrae, kyphosis, and scoliosis. Further pathological conditions were identified, including bone erosion, premature fusion of the left femoral head and greater trochanter, and abnormal size and shape changes to the lower limbs including loss of bone mass and stunting of the long bones. CONCLUSIONS Skeletal lesions are indicative of spondylitis, Pott's disease, and prolonged bedrest. SIGNIFICANCE This case is one of the few examples of confirmed juvenile pulmonary tuberculosis with skeletal lesions prior to the antibiotic era. As such, it provides a reference for the skeletal abnormalities which may be observed in archaeological tuberculosis cases. LIMITATIONS Pulmonary tuberculosis was recorded as cause of death, however there is no documentation to know the length of illness period or the existence of any comorbidities. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Consideration of multi-focal lesions is recommended when analyzing individuals with suspected tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie Gooderham
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Luísa Marinho
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Laure Spake
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Shera Fisk
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Carlos Prates
- IMI-art / Affidea PT, Av Da República 99 B, 1050-190 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sandra Sousa
- IMI-art / Affidea PT, Av Da República 99 B, 1050-190 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlos Oliveira
- IMI-art / Affidea PT, Av Da República 99 B, 1050-190 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Luisa Santos
- Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim De Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Hugo F V Cardoso
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, Canada; Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde (CIAS), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim De Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.
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Sabin S, Herbig A, Vågene ÅJ, Ahlström T, Bozovic G, Arcini C, Kühnert D, Bos KI. A seventeenth-century Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome supports a Neolithic emergence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Genome Biol 2020; 21:201. [PMID: 32778135 PMCID: PMC7418204 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02112-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although tuberculosis accounts for the highest mortality from a bacterial infection on a global scale, questions persist regarding its origin. One hypothesis based on modern Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) genomes suggests their most recent common ancestor followed human migrations out of Africa approximately 70,000 years before present. However, studies using ancient genomes as calibration points have yielded much younger dates of less than 6000 years. Here, we aim to address this discrepancy through the analysis of the highest-coverage and highest-quality ancient MTBC genome available to date, reconstructed from a calcified lung nodule of Bishop Peder Winstrup of Lund (b. 1605-d. 1679). RESULTS A metagenomic approach for taxonomic classification of whole DNA content permitted the identification of abundant DNA belonging to the human host and the MTBC, with few non-TB bacterial taxa comprising the background. Genomic enrichment enabled the reconstruction of a 141-fold coverage M. tuberculosis genome. In utilizing this high-quality, high-coverage seventeenth-century genome as a calibration point for dating the MTBC, we employed multiple Bayesian tree models, including birth-death models, which allowed us to model pathogen population dynamics and data sampling strategies more realistically than those based on the coalescent. CONCLUSIONS The results of our metagenomic analysis demonstrate the unique preservation environment calcified nodules provide for DNA. Importantly, we estimate a most recent common ancestor date for the MTBC of between 2190 and 4501 before present and for Lineage 4 of between 929 and 2084 before present using multiple models, confirming a Neolithic emergence for the MTBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Sabin
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Herbig
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Åshild J. Vågene
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Present address: Section for Evolutionary Genomics, The GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Torbjörn Ahlström
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Gracijela Bozovic
- Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Physiology, Skåne University Hospital Lund and Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Caroline Arcini
- Arkeologerna, National Historical Museum, 226 60 Lund, Sweden
| | - Denise Kühnert
- Transmission, Infection, Diversification & Evolution Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten I. Bos
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
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BUZIC I, GIUFFRA V. The paleopathological evidence on the origins of human tuberculosis: a review. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2020; 61:E3-E8. [PMID: 32529097 PMCID: PMC7263064 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2020.61.1s1.1379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) has been one of the most important infectious diseases affecting mankind and still represents a plague on a global scale. In this narrative review the origins of tuberculosis are outlined, according to the evidence of paleopathology. In particular the first cases of human TB in ancient skeletal remains are presented, together with the most recent discoveries resulting from the paleomicrobiology of the tubercle bacillus, which provide innovative information on the history of TB. The paleopathological evidence of TB attests the presence of the disease starting from Neolithic times. Traditionally, it was thought that TB has a zoonotic origin, being acquired by humans from cattle during the Neolithic revolution. However, the biomolecular studies proposed a new evolutionary scenario demonstrating that human TB has a human origin. The researches show that the disease was present in the early human populations of Africa at least 70000 years ago and that it expanded following the migrations of Homo sapiens out of Africa, adapting to the different human groups. The demographic success of TB during the Neolithic period was due to the growth of density and size of the human host population, and not the zoonotic transfer from cattle, as previously hypothesized. These data demonstrate a long coevolution of the disease and its human host. Understanding the changes of TB through time thanks to the advances in the field of paleopathology can help to solve the present problems and understand the future evolution of TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. BUZIC
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
- Doctoral School of History, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
- Correspondence: Ileana Buzic, MA, Doctoral School of History, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, 5 G. Bethlen St., 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania. Tel. +40 258806130 - Fax +40 258812630 - E-mail:
| | - V. GIUFFRA
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
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Orellana-González E, Sparacello VS, Bocaege E, Varalli A, Moggi-Cecchi J, Dori I. Insights on patterns of developmental disturbances from the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia in a Neolithic sample from Liguria (northwestern Italy). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 28:123-136. [PMID: 31901428 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess developmental disturbances through the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequency and to infer environmental stress and life history within Neolithic communities from Liguria (Italy). MATERIALS 43 unworn/minimally worn permanent anterior teeth of 13 individuals recovered from nearby caves and dated to c. 4800-4400 cal. BCE. METHODS LEH defects were identified with high-resolution macrophotos of dental replicas, age at LEH was calculated via perikymata counts. LEH defects matched between two or more teeth were considered as systemic disturbances. LEH frequency by age classes was analyzed via GLZ and Friedman ANOVA. RESULTS Number of matched defects per individual range between 2-12. The mean LEH per individual was highest in the 2.5-2.99 age category, with a significant increase relative to earlier growth stages, followed by a decline. CONCLUSION LEH may reflect life-history in the local ecology of Neolithic Liguria, where several individuals with osteoarticular tuberculosis have been recorded. Disease burden may have triggered developmental disturbances around the time of weaning. Age at first defect was negatively correlated with age at death and positively with the total number of defects, suggesting that early stress may have affected survivorship. SIGNIFICANCE The study contributes to the reconstruction of ecological pressures among Neolithic people of Liguria, and informs on environmental challenges during the Neolithic adaptive expansion. LIMITATIONS The visual examination of macrophotos is prone to observer error; mid-crown tends to display more visible LEH due to tooth architecture. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Apply different quantitative methods to examine severity and duration of disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emmy Bocaege
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Alessandra Varalli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615 Pessac, France; Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK
| | - Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122 Florence, Italy
| | - Irene Dori
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615 Pessac, France; Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122 Florence, Italy; Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Verona, Rovigo e Vicenza, Piazza S. Fermo 3, 37121 Verona, Italy.
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Goude G, Dori I, Sparacello VS, Starnini E, Varalli A. Multi-proxy stable isotope analyses of dentine microsections reveal diachronic changes in life history adaptations, mobility, and tuberculosis-induced wasting in prehistoric Liguria (Finale Ligure, Italy, northwestern Mediterranean). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 28:99-111. [PMID: 32044292 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To reconstruct breastfeeding and weaning practices, metabolic stress including tuberculosis-induced wasting, and residential mobility of children in Neolithic and Metal Ages to infer their local ecologies. MATERIALS Seven permanent teeth from individuals dated to the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, and Iron Ages buried in nearby caves in western Liguria, Italy. METHODS Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope analyses on dentine microsections. Tooth maturation was used to calculate age at death. RESULTS Two Neolithic children present longer pattern of weaning and appear to have been weaned using animal protein in contrast to the earlier weaning of Metal Ages children, which were probably weaned with vegetable resources. Sulfur isotopes suggest local origin of Neolithic and Cooper Age children, and non-local origins for Bronze and Iron Age children. Intense catabolism in the last two years is apparent in the adolescent with tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS Shortening in weaning patterns during the Metal Ages are likely driven by the intensification of agricultural practices and cultivation of new crops during Bronze and Iron Ages. Neolithic food choices and delayed weaning patterns may represent one of the strategies to maximize growth and immune potential in a local economy/ecology with high-infectious load. Tuberculosis was a chronic and long-lasting disease. SIGNIFICANCE The first combined carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur analysis on prehistoric dentine microsections revealing changing human life history adaptations within the same region. LIMITATIONS Small sample size. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Increase the sulfur isotope dataset, use new EA-IRMS equipment, and provide data on amino acid to better define weaning food composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Goude
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Minist Culture, LAMPEA, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - I Dori
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33616, Pessac, France; Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Verona, Rovigo e Vicenza, Piazza S. Fermo 3, 37121, Verona, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
| | - V S Sparacello
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33616, Pessac, France.
| | - E Starnini
- Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città metropolitana di Genova e le province di Imperia, La Spezia e Savona, via Balbi 10, I-16126, Genova, Italy; Dipartimento di Cività e Forme del Sapere, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Italy
| | - A Varalli
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK
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Dori I, Varalli A, Seghi F, Moggi-Cecchi J, Sparacello VS. Environmental correlates of growth patterns in Neolithic Liguria (northwestern Italy). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2020; 28:112-122. [PMID: 31902673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study evaluates patterns of human growth in the Neolithic to make inferences about environmental correlates of developmental disturbances. MATERIALS 33 children/adolescents from the Neolithic of Liguria (Italy), 29 of which date between 4,800-4,400 cal BCE. METHODS Neolithic patterns of growth are compared with a modern sample (the Denver Growth Study; DGS). Dental development was used to determine age at death. Proxies for postcranial maturation are femoral length and proportion of mean adult femoral length attained. RESULTS Ligurian children show growth faltering compared to DGS, especially between 4 and 9 years of age. Between 1 and 2 years, and in later childhood and adolescence, values are more similar or higher than DGS, when using the proportion of adult femoral length attained. CONCLUSIONS The pattern of growth in Ligurian Neolithic children may reflect a deprived and highly-infectious environment: three individuals show skeletal lesions consistent with tuberculosis. The relatively faster growth in infancy may result from the buffering provided by maternal milk. Older children and adolescents may exhibit catch-up growth. SIGNIFICANCE This study contributes to our understanding of Neolithic selective pressures and possible biocultural adaptive strategies. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional nature of the data and the small sample size make it unclear whether the observed pattern is representative of the growth patterns in the living population. The possibility that adults are stunted undermines the interpretation of optimal growth in the first years. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Refine age estimates, increase sample size through the study of other bone elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Dori
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615, Pessac, France; Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122, Florence, Italy; Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Verona, Rovigo e Vicenza, Piazza S. Fermo 3, 37121, Verona, Italy
| | - A Varalli
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK
| | - F Seghi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - J Moggi-Cecchi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Anthropology, University of Florence, via del Proconsolo 12, 50122, Florence, Italy
| | - V S Sparacello
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33615, Pessac, France.
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13
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Okazaki K, Takamuku H, Yonemoto S, Itahashi Y, Gakuhari T, Yoneda M, Chen J. A paleopathological approach to early human adaptation for wet-rice agriculture: The first case of Neolithic spinal tuberculosis at the Yangtze River Delta of China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2019; 24:236-244. [PMID: 30660048 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The earliest evidence of human tuberculosis can be traced to at least the early dynastic periods, when full-scaled wet-rice agriculture began or entered its early developmental stages, in circum-China countries (Japan, Korea, and Thailand). Early studies indicated that the initial spread of tuberculosis coincided with the development of wet-rice agriculture. It has been proposed that the adaptation to agriculture changed human social/living environments, coincidentally favoring survival and spread of pathogenic Mycobacterial strains that cause tuberculosis. Here we present a possible case of spinal tuberculosis evident in the remains of a young female (M191) found among 184 skeletal individuals who were Neolithic wet-rice agriculturalists from the Yangtze River Delta of China, associated with Songze culture (3900-3200 B.C.). This early evidence of tuberculosis in East Asia serves as an example of early human morbidity following the adoption of the wet-rice agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Okazaki
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Japan.
| | | | | | - Yu Itahashi
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Gakuhari
- Center for Cultural Resource Studies, Kanazawa University, Japan
| | - Minoru Yoneda
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Archaeology, Shanghai Museum, China
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Cieślik AI. Evidence of tuberculosis among children in medieval (13th–15th century) Wrocław: A case study of hip joint tuberculosis in a juvenile skeleton excavated from the crypt of the St. Elizabeth church. ANTHROPOLOGICAL REVIEW 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/anre-2017-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Paleopathological examinations of the skeletal remains of people who died centuries ago are material source of knowledge about health and diseases in the past. In this article, a case of skeletal tuberculosis from historical (13th-15th c.) Wrocław, Poland has been presented. The juvenile skeleton excavated from grave No 93, from the crypt located under the church of St. Elizabeth, displayed pathological lesions within the right hip joint resulting from a chronic inflammation, which might have been assigned to signs typical for skeletal tuberculosis. The results of macroscopic and radiological analyses appeared to be consistent, and allowed to determine a reliable diagnosis of this paleopathological case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Izabela Cieślik
- Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Anthropology in Wrocław, 75 Podwale St, 50-445 Wrocław , Poland
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