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Identification of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum in a 200-year-old skeletal specimen.
| Title | Identification of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum in a 200-year-old skeletal specimen. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 1999 |
| Authors | Kolman, CJ, Centurion-Lara, A, Lukehart, SA, Owsley, DW, Tuross, N |
| Journal | J Infect Dis |
| Volume | 180 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pagination | 2060-3 |
| Date Published | 1999 Dec |
| ISSN | 0022-1899 |
| Keywords | Antigens, Bacterial, Base Sequence, Bone and Bones, DNA, Bacterial, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, History, 18th Century, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length, Polynesia, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Syphilis, Treponema pallidum |
| Abstract | Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of venereal syphilis, was detected in a 200-year-old skeletal specimen from Easter Island. An initial diagnosis of treponemal infection was confirmed by extensive purification of immunoglobulin that reacted strongly with T. pallidum antigen. Extracted DNA exhibited a single-base polymorphism that distinguished T.p. subsp. pallidum from 4 other human and nonhuman treponemes. Extensive precautions against contamination of the subject matter with modern treponemal DNA were employed, including analysis of archaeological and modern specimens in 2 geographically separate laboratories. Molecular determination of historical disease states by using skeletal material can significantly enhance our understanding of the pathology and spread of infectious diseases. |
| DOI | 10.1086/315151 |
| Alternate Journal | J. Infect. Dis. |
| PubMed ID | 10558971 |
