Molecular study on human tuberculosis in three geographically distinct and time delineated populations from ancient Egypt

Albert Zink · Waltraud Grabner · Udo Reischl · Hans J. Wolf · Michael L. Nerlich

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Paleopathology and ancient diseases Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology History of Medicine Studies

Abstract

We describe the molecular identification of human tuberculosis (TB) from vertebral bone tissue samples from three different populations of ancient Egypt. The specimens were obtained from the predynastic to early dynastic necropolis of Abydos (7 individuals, c. 3500-2650 B.C.), from a Middle Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period tomb of the necropolis of Thebes-West (37. c. 2100-1550 B.C.) and from five further Theban tombs used in the New Kingdom and the Late Period (39, c. 1450-500 B.C.). A total of 18 cases tested positive for the presence of ancient DNA (aDNA) of the M. tuberculosis complex. Out of the 9 cases with typical macromorphological signs of tuberculous spondylitis, 6 were positive for mycobacterial aDNA (66.7%). Of 24 cases with non-specific pathological alterations, 5 provided a positive result (20.8%). In 50 cases of normally appearing vertebral bones 7 tested positive (14.0%). There were only minor differences in the frequencies between the three populations. These data strongly support the notion that tuberculosis was present and prevalent in ancient Egypt since very early periods of this civilization. The unexpectedly high rate of mycobacterial aDNA in normal bone samples is presumably due to a pre- to perimortal systemic spread of the bacteria and indicates a generalized infection by M. tuberculosis.

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References

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2004Molecular identification of human tuberculosis in recent and historic bone tissue samples: The role of molecular techniques for the study of historic tuberculosis 2007Molecular history of tuberculosis from ancient mummies and skeletons 2010Tuberculosis on the north coast of Peru: skeletal and molecular paleopathology of late pre-Hispanic and postcontact mycobacterial disease 2006Malignant tumors in two ancient populations: An approach to historical tumor epidemiology

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