A migration-driven model for the historical spread of leprosy in medieval Eastern and Central Europe

Donoghue, Helen D.; Taylor, G. Michael; Marcsik, Antónia; Molnár, Erika; Paragh, György; Pap, Ildikó; Teschler-Nicola, Maria; Pinhasi, Ron; Erdal, Yılmaz Selim; Velemínský, Petr; Likovský, Jakub; Belcastro, Maria Giovanna; Mariotti, Valentina; Riga, Alessandro; Rubini, Mauro; Zaio, Paola; Besra, Gurdyal S.; Lee, Oona Y.-C.; Wu, Houdini H.T.; Minnikin, David E.; Bull, Ian D.; O’Grady, Justin; Spigelman, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2015.02.001

Cited by 52 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…Indeed, these specific cell wall lipids are more stable than aDNA and have confirmed suspected cases of ancient leprosy in the absence of M. leprae aDNA [14]. Modern genetic studies show that different genotypes of these pathogens are found in different human populations, indicating that each species has emerged from an evolutionary bottleneck with subsequent clonal expansion [3,[15][16][17][18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…Techniques [11] 2012-2017 SNP sub-genotyping and WGS Mycocerosic acid lipid biomarkers identified SNP sub-genotyping elucidates geographical differences between M. leprae from different regions [14,[38][39][40] 2. Methods…”

Section: Yearmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In both these species, genotypes can be distinguished by synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) [17][18][19]. Strains can also be identified using variable number short tandem repeats (VNTR) [20], spoligotyping [21] and microsatellite analysis [14], although these are often unstable due to poor DNA repair and are thus unsuited to study deep phylogeny of the microorganism. Unique deletions and subsets can also be exploited to identify the main lineages and branches of the M. tuberculosis (MTB) complex that consists of all human and animal strains [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The growth of this field of paleomicrobiology is summarized in Table 1 for ancient tuberculosis [4,5,9,10,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] and in Table 2 for ancient leprosy [6,11,14,18,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40], highlighting the changes in methodology over time. Detailed information for a range of studies on ancient tuberculosis is provided in Table S1 [4,5,9,10,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]36,.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Detailed information for a range of studies on ancient tuberculosis is provided in Table S1 [4,5,9,10,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]36,. Similarly, studies on ancient leprosy are tabulated in Table S2 [6,[11][12][13][14]18,20,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40]53,[68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Positive Diagnosis of Ancient Leprosy and Tuberculosis Using Ancient DNA and Lipid Biomarkers

et al. 2017

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Diagnosis of leprosy and tuberculosis in archaeological material is most informative when based upon entire genomes. Ancient DNA (aDNA) is often degraded but amplification of specific fragments also provides reliable diagnoses. Cell wall lipid biomarkers can distinguish ancient leprosy from tuberculosis and DNA extraction residues can be utilized. The diagnostic power of combined aDNA and lipid biomarkers is illustrated by key cases of ancient leprosy and/or tuberculosis. Human tuberculosis was demonstrated in a woman and child from Atlit-Yam (~9 ka) in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the 600 BCE Egyptian "Granville" mummy. Both aDNA and lipids confirmed Pleistocene tuberculosis in a~17 ka bison from Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming. Leprosy is exemplified by cases from Winchester (10th-12th centuries CE) and Great Chesterford (5th-6th centuries CE). A mixed infection from Kiskundorozsma, Hungary (7th century CE) allowed lipid biomarkers to assess the relative load of leprosy and tuberculosis. Essential protocols for aDNA amplification and analysis of mycolic, mycolipenic, mycocerosic acid, and phthiocerol lipid biomarkers are summarized. Diagnoses of ancient mycobacterial disease can be extended beyond the reach of whole genomics by combinations of aDNA amplification and lipid biomarkers, with sole use of the latter having the potential to recognize even older cases.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Yearmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Positive Diagnosis of Ancient Leprosy and Tuberculosis Using Ancient DNA and Lipid Biomarkers

et al. 2017

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Evolution to Revolution

Roberts¹

2023

Handbook of Archaeological Sciences

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Creating communities of care: Sex estimation and mobility histories of adolescents buried in the cemetery of St. Mary Magdalen leprosarium (Winchester, England)

Filipek

Roberts

Montgomery

et al. 2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Objectives: This study examines the biological sex and geographical origins of adolescents buried at the St Mary Magdalen leprosarium (Winchester, UK). The data are combined with archaeological and palaeopathological evidence to broaden the understanding of mobility and its relationship to leprosy and leprosaria in Medieval England.Materials and Methods: Nineteen individuals ($10-25 at death) with skeletal lesions diagnostic of leprosy were analyzed using standard osteological methods. Amelogenin peptides were extracted from five individuals whose biological sex could not be assessed from macroscopic methods. Enamel samples were analyzed to produce 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and δ 18 O values to explore mobility histories.Results: Amelogenin peptides revealed three males and two females. Tooth enamel samples provided an 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio range from 0.7084 to 0.7103 (mean 0.7090, ±0.0012, 2σ). δ 18 O P values show a wide range of 15.6‰-19.3‰ (mean 17.8 ± 1.6‰ 2σ), with corresponding δ 18 O DW values ranging from À9.7‰ to À4.1‰ (mean À6.3 ± 2.4‰ 2σ).Discussion: Amelogenin peptide data reveal the presence of adolescent females with bone changes of leprosy, making them the youngest confirmed females with leprosy in the archaeological record. Results also show at least 12 adolescents were local, and seven were from further afield, including outside Britain. Since St. Mary Magdalen was a leprosarium, it is possible that these people traveled there specifically for care. Archaeological and palaeopathological data support the notion that care was provided at this facility and that leprosy stigma, as we understand it today, may not have existed in this time and place.

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A migration-driven model for the historical spread of leprosy in medieval Eastern and Central Europe

Cited by 52 publications

References 41 publications

Positive Diagnosis of Ancient Leprosy and Tuberculosis Using Ancient DNA and Lipid Biomarkers

Positive Diagnosis of Ancient Leprosy and Tuberculosis Using Ancient DNA and Lipid Biomarkers

Evolution to Revolution

Creating communities of care: Sex estimation and mobility histories of adolescents buried in the cemetery of St. Mary Magdalen leprosarium (Winchester, England)

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