A 2,000–year-old specimen with intraerythrocytic Bartonella quintana

Photogrammetry and cascading microscopy investigations of dental pulp specimens collected from 2,000-year-old individuals buried in a Roman necropolis in Besançon, France, revealed unprecedented preserved tissular and cellular morphology. Photogrammetry yielded 3-D images of the smallest archaeologi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-06, Vol.10 (1), p.10069-10069, Article 10069
Main Authors: Barbieri, R., Mai, B.-H.-A., Chenal, T., Bassi, M-L., Gandia, D., Camoin-Jau, L., Lepidi, H., Aboudharam, G., Drancourt, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Archaeology and Prehistory
Bartonella quintana
Biological anthropology
Dental pulp
Electron microscopy
Erythrocytes
Human health and pathology
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hybridization
Immunohistochemistry
Infectious diseases
Life Sciences
Light microscopy
Microscopy
multidisciplinary
Pathogens
Photogrammetry
Polymerase chain reaction
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Photogrammetry and cascading microscopy investigations of dental pulp specimens collected from 2,000-year-old individuals buried in a Roman necropolis in Besançon, France, revealed unprecedented preserved tissular and cellular morphology. Photogrammetry yielded 3-D images of the smallest archaeological human remains ever recovered. Optical microscopy examinations after standard haematoxylin-phloxine-saffron staining and anti-glycophorin A immunohistochemistry exposed dental pulp cells, in addition erythrocytes were visualised by electron microscopy, which indicated the ancient dental pulp trapped a blood drop. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation applied on red blood cells revealed the louse-borne pathogen Bartonella quintana , a finding confirmed by polymerase chain reaction assays. Through paleohistology and paleocytology, we demonstrate that the ancient dental pulp preserved intact blood cells at the time of the individual’s death, offering an unprecedented opportunity to engage in direct and indirect tests to diagnose pathogens in ancient buried individuals.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-66917-7