Paleoserological detection of Coronavirus antigens in dental calculus of human remains dating from the beginning of the 19th century, French Ardennes

OBJECTIVE

Vanishing viral RNA restricts our ability to detect ancient pathogens, so, we used paleo serological approaches to trace the dynamics of the Coronavirus in ancient populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated 10 ancient dental calculus samples collected from a cemetery dated to the beginning of the 19th century and excavated in Charleville-Mézières. After paleoserum samples were extracted from dental calculus, paleoserology using mini-line-blot incorporating one alpha-Coronavirus (Coronavirus 229 E) and two beta-Coronavirus (Coronavirus OC 43, SARS-CoV-2) antigens and controls was completed by an automated Western blotting assay.

RESULTS

Once appropriate controls had validated the data, mini-line-blot detected antibodies against the two beta-Coronavirus antigens in individuals US1300 and US1339, automated Western blotting confirming one beta-Coronavirus antigen for individual US1300 and an additional individual US1326.

DISCUSSION

Combing mini-line blot and automated Western blot assays made it possible to detect immunoreactive immunoglobulin tracing circulation of Coronavirus in France at the very beginning of the 19th century.

An ancient coronavirus from individuals in France, circa 16th century

BACKGROUND

At the time when the COVID-19 pandemic was responsible for more than six million deaths worldwide, the antiquity of Coronaviruses remains undefined. We investigated individuals buried in 16^th century in France, for the direct and paleoserological diagnosis of Coronavirus.

METHODS

The 2011-2012 excavation of abbey Saint-Pierre in Baume-les-Messieurs, France uncovered 12 skeletons of individuals ranging from the 13^th-18^th centuries. Total proteins extracted from dental pulps were subjected to microbial paleoserology targeting the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-229E and OC43 antigens and for Coronavirus peptide research using metaproteomics; in parallel to negative controls.

RESULTS

Three peptide sequences totaling 36 amino acids indicative of a Coronavirus were retrieved from dental pulp remains collected from two individuals buried circa at 16^th century, in whom paleoserology confirmed a specific immunological response against modern-day SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide serological and proteomic evidence for a betacoronavirus with no modern correspondent, infecting 16^th century populations, extending the antiquity of coronaviruses by more than three centuries. Historical, archaeozoological and paleoproteomic data suggested close contacts between these two individuals and domestic swine, cattle, and poultry, suggesting an ancient zoonotic coronavirus. Coronaviruses have been undesirable companions of populations long before the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak emerged.

An outbreak of relapsing fever unmasked by microbial paleoserology, 16th century, France

OBJECTIVES

Depicting past epidemics currently relies on DNA-based detection of pathogens, an approach limited to pathogens with well-preserved DNA sequences. We used paleoserology as a complementary approach detecting specific antibodies under a mini line-blot format including positive and negative control antigens.

METHODS

Mini line blot assay incorporated skim milk as negative control, Staphylococcus aureus as positive control, and antigens prepared from lice-borne pathogens Rickettsia prowazekii, Borrelia recurrentis, Bartonella quintana, and Yersinia pestis. Paleoserums were extracted from rehydrated dental pulp recovered from buried individuals. Mini line blots observed with the naked eye, were quantified using a scanner and appropriate software. Paleoserology was applied to the indirect detection of lice-borne pathogens in seven skeletons exhumed from a 16th-17th century suspected military burial site (Auxi-le-Château); and 14 civils exhumed from a 5th-13th century burial site (Saint-Mont). Direct detection of pathogens was performed using quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS

In Auxi-le-Château, paleoserology yielded 7/7 interpretable paleoserums including 7/7 positives for B. recurrentis including one also positive for B. quintana. In Saint-Mont, paleoserology yielded 8/14 interpretable paleoserums and none reacted against any of the four pathogens. Antibodies against R. prowazekii and Y. pestis were not detected. The seroprevalence was significantly higher in the military burial site of Auxi-le-Château than in the civil burial site of Saint-Mont. Real-time PCR detection of B. quintana yielded 5/21 positive (3 at Saint-Mont and 2 at Auxi-le-Château) whereas B. recurrentis was not detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Paleoserology unmasked an outbreak of relapsing B. recurrentis fever in one 16th - 17th century military garrison, missed by real-time PCR. Paleoserology offers a new tool for investigating past epidemics, in complement to DNA sequence-based approaches.

Genetic Markers in Human Bone Tissue

The use of genetic markers in bone and tissues as a method of human identification is reviewed in detail. Methods for the identification of human remains and the case situations requiring them are described. Some of the previous work on tissue and bone ABO grouping from both anthropological and medicolegal perspectives is reviewed; and some results from our own studies that have produced a highly reliable bone grouping procedure are presented. Some of our work and that of others on the typing of other classical genetic marker systems in bone is included. Recent work on DNA polymorphism typing and some actual and potential forensic applications of bone (and tissue) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) typing are discussed.