Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, Hungary

Erika Molnár; Helen D. Donoghue; Oona Y.-c. Lee; Houdini H.t. Wu; Gurdyal S. Besra; David E. Minnikin; Ian D. Bull; Gareth Llewellyn; Christopher M. Williams; Olga Spekker; György Pálfi

doi:10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032

Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, Hungary

Erika Molnár, Helen D. Donoghue, Oona Y.-c. Lee, Houdini H.t. Wu, Gurdyal S. Besra, David E. Minnikin, Ian D. Bull, Gareth Llewellyn, Christopher M. Williams, Olga Spekker, György Pálfi

Biosciences

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Abstract

Macromorphological analysis of skeletons, from 20 selected graves of the 8th century AD Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, revealed 19 cases of possible skeletal tuberculosis. Biomolecular analyses provided general support for such diagnoses, including the individual without pathology, but the data did not show coherent consistency over the range of biomarkers examined. Amplification of ancient DNA fragments found evidence for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA only in five graves. In contrast, varying degrees of lipid biomarker presence were recorded in all except two of the skeletons, though most lipid components appeared to be somewhat degraded. Mycobacterial mycolic acid biomarkers were absent in five cases, but the weak, possibly degraded profiles for the remainder were smaller and inconclusive for either tuberculosis or leprosy. The most positive lipid biomarker evidence for tuberculosis was provided by mycolipenic acid, with 13 clear cases, supported by five distinct possible cases. Combinations of mycocerosic acids were present in all but three graves, but in one case a tuberculosis-leprosy co-infection was indicated. In two specimens with pathology, no lipid biomarker evidence was recorded, but one of these specimens provided M. tuberculosis complex DNA fragments.

Original language	English
Journal	Tuberculosis
Early online date	13 Feb 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032
Publication status	Published - 13 Feb 2015

Keywords

Ancient DNA
Lipid biomarkers
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
Palaeopathology
PCR

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032

Molnar_et_al_Morphological_biomolecular_evidence_Tuberculosis_2015
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published as Molnár E, Donoghue HD, Lee OY-C, Wu HHT, Besra GS, Minnikin DE, Bull ID, Llewellyn G, Williams CM, Spekker O, Pálfi G, Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, Hungary, Tuberculosis (2015), doi: 10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032.
Accepted author manuscript, 2.96 MBLicence: Other (please specify with Rights Statement)

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Molnár, E., Donoghue, H. D., Lee, O. Y., Wu, H. H. T., Besra, G. S., Minnikin, D. E., Bull, I. D., Llewellyn, G., Williams, C. M., Spekker, O., & Pálfi, G. (2015). Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, Hungary. Tuberculosis. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032

@article{8a42ea4db735439d877b53c9ac76c58a,

title = "Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from B{\'e}lmegyer-Cs{\"o}m{\"o}ki domb, Hungary",

abstract = "Macromorphological analysis of skeletons, from 20 selected graves of the 8th century AD B{\'e}lmegyer-Cs{\"o}m{\"o}ki domb, revealed 19 cases of possible skeletal tuberculosis. Biomolecular analyses provided general support for such diagnoses, including the individual without pathology, but the data did not show coherent consistency over the range of biomarkers examined. Amplification of ancient DNA fragments found evidence for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA only in five graves. In contrast, varying degrees of lipid biomarker presence were recorded in all except two of the skeletons, though most lipid components appeared to be somewhat degraded. Mycobacterial mycolic acid biomarkers were absent in five cases, but the weak, possibly degraded profiles for the remainder were smaller and inconclusive for either tuberculosis or leprosy. The most positive lipid biomarker evidence for tuberculosis was provided by mycolipenic acid, with 13 clear cases, supported by five distinct possible cases. Combinations of mycocerosic acids were present in all but three graves, but in one case a tuberculosis-leprosy co-infection was indicated. In two specimens with pathology, no lipid biomarker evidence was recorded, but one of these specimens provided M. tuberculosis complex DNA fragments.",

keywords = "Ancient DNA, Lipid biomarkers, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Palaeopathology, PCR",

author = "Erika Moln{\'a}r and Donoghue, {Helen D.} and Lee, {Oona Y.-c.} and Wu, {Houdini H.t.} and Besra, {Gurdyal S.} and Minnikin, {David E.} and Bull, {Ian D.} and Gareth Llewellyn and Williams, {Christopher M.} and Olga Spekker and Gy{\"o}rgy P{\'a}lfi",

year = "2015",

month = feb,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032",

language = "English",

journal = "Tuberculosis",

issn = "1472-9792",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, Hungary

AU - Molnár, Erika

AU - Donoghue, Helen D.

AU - Lee, Oona Y.-c.

AU - Wu, Houdini H.t.

AU - Besra, Gurdyal S.

AU - Minnikin, David E.

AU - Bull, Ian D.

AU - Llewellyn, Gareth

AU - Williams, Christopher M.

AU - Spekker, Olga

AU - Pálfi, György

PY - 2015/2/13

Y1 - 2015/2/13

N2 - Macromorphological analysis of skeletons, from 20 selected graves of the 8th century AD Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, revealed 19 cases of possible skeletal tuberculosis. Biomolecular analyses provided general support for such diagnoses, including the individual without pathology, but the data did not show coherent consistency over the range of biomarkers examined. Amplification of ancient DNA fragments found evidence for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA only in five graves. In contrast, varying degrees of lipid biomarker presence were recorded in all except two of the skeletons, though most lipid components appeared to be somewhat degraded. Mycobacterial mycolic acid biomarkers were absent in five cases, but the weak, possibly degraded profiles for the remainder were smaller and inconclusive for either tuberculosis or leprosy. The most positive lipid biomarker evidence for tuberculosis was provided by mycolipenic acid, with 13 clear cases, supported by five distinct possible cases. Combinations of mycocerosic acids were present in all but three graves, but in one case a tuberculosis-leprosy co-infection was indicated. In two specimens with pathology, no lipid biomarker evidence was recorded, but one of these specimens provided M. tuberculosis complex DNA fragments.

AB - Macromorphological analysis of skeletons, from 20 selected graves of the 8th century AD Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, revealed 19 cases of possible skeletal tuberculosis. Biomolecular analyses provided general support for such diagnoses, including the individual without pathology, but the data did not show coherent consistency over the range of biomarkers examined. Amplification of ancient DNA fragments found evidence for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA only in five graves. In contrast, varying degrees of lipid biomarker presence were recorded in all except two of the skeletons, though most lipid components appeared to be somewhat degraded. Mycobacterial mycolic acid biomarkers were absent in five cases, but the weak, possibly degraded profiles for the remainder were smaller and inconclusive for either tuberculosis or leprosy. The most positive lipid biomarker evidence for tuberculosis was provided by mycolipenic acid, with 13 clear cases, supported by five distinct possible cases. Combinations of mycocerosic acids were present in all but three graves, but in one case a tuberculosis-leprosy co-infection was indicated. In two specimens with pathology, no lipid biomarker evidence was recorded, but one of these specimens provided M. tuberculosis complex DNA fragments.

KW - Ancient DNA

KW - Lipid biomarkers

KW - Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

KW - Palaeopathology

KW - PCR

U2 - 10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032

DO - 10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.032

M3 - Article

SN - 1472-9792

JO - Tuberculosis

JF - Tuberculosis

ER -

Morphological and biomolecular evidence for tuberculosis in 8th century AD skeletons from Bélmegyer-Csömöki domb, Hungary

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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