Widespread occurrence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA from 18th–19th century Hungarians

Bibliographic Data

ID8320327
AuthorsHelen A Fletcher (0000-0002-0435-1006, University College London), Helen D Donoghue (0000-0003-3918-5252, University College London, corresponding author), John Holton (University College London), Ildikó Pap (0000-0001-6601-1616, Hungarian Natural History Museum), Mark Spigelman (University College London)
Year2003
Volume120
Issue2
Pages144-152
Publication date2003-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.10114
PMID12541332
OpenAlexW1997431423
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited38

A large number (265) of burials from 1731–1838 were discovered in sealed crypts of the Dominican Church, Vác, Hungary in 1994. Many bodies were naturally mummified, so that both soft tissues and bones were available. Contemporary archives enabled the determination of age at death, and the identification of family groups. In some cases, symptoms before death were described and, occasionally, occupation. Initial radiological examination of a small number of individuals had indicated calcified lung lesions and demonstrable acid‐fast bacteria suggestive of tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis was endemic in 18th–19th century Europe, so human remains should contain detectable Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB) DNA, enabling comparisons with modern isolates. Therefore, a comprehensive examination of 168 individuals for the presence of MTB DNA was undertaken. Specific DNA amplification methods for MTB showed that 55% of individuals were positive and that the incidence varied according to age at death and sampling site in the body. Radiographs were obtained from 27 individuals and revealed an association between gross pathology and the presence of MTB DNA. There was an inverse relationship between PCR positivity and MTB target sequence size. In some cases, the preservation of MTB DNA was excellent, and several target gene sequences could be detected from the same sample. This information, combined with MTB DNA sequencing data and molecular typing techniques, will enable us to study the past epidemiology of TB infection, and extends the timeframe for studying changes in molecular fingerprints. Am J Phys Anthropol 120:144–152, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Ancient DNA · Biology · DNA · DNA sequencing · Environmental health · Gene · Mycobacterium tuberculosis · Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex · Pathology · Polymerase chain reaction · Population · Tuberculosis · Typing · Genetics · Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis · Medicine · Mycobacterium research and diagnosis · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology