The physiopathology of osteoarthritis: Paleopathological implications of non-articular lesions from a modern surgical sample.

OBJECTIVES: This research focused on osteoarthritis (OA) lesions on modern patients to 1) identify consistently observed lesions not included within current paleopathological measures of OA, 2) assess the correspondence of bone and cartilage lesions with clinical OA diagnostic criteria, and 3) discuss the correspondence of bone lesions with sources of pain reported in clinical literature. MATERIALS: Tibial plateaus from 62 patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery due to OA were examined. METHODS: Plateaus were scored for several non-standard OA criteria, including non-articular and X-ray visible lesions and pre-maceration cartilage lesions, as well as articular surface criteria standard in paleopathology. RESULTS: Proliferative bone in the intercondylar region was present in 95 % of specimens, while areas of dense trabecular bone and lytic defects, both on the inferior side of the plateaus, were present in 98 % and 83 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The inferior lytic defects may be physical evidence of bone marrow lesions (BML), a clinical OA indicator visible via MRI. Previous research has linked BML to pain, inflammation, and ligament pathology. The latter conditions have also been associated with intercondylar enthesophytes and third intercondylar tubercle of Parsons (TITP), both of which were observed in the intercondylar regions. SIGNIFICANCE: Several non-articular lesions not currently included in paleopathological measures of OA were consistently observed. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH: A similar analysis of a control sample of non-OA tibial plateaus would better contextualize these results. LIMITATIONS: The sample's high average age (65.8 years) and severe OA stage may hamper generalizability to archaeological collections.

The characterization of Helicobacter pylori DNA associated with ancient human remains recovered from a Canadian glacier.

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach of nearly half of the world's population. Genotypic characterization of H. pylori strains involves the analysis of virulence-associated genes, such as vacA, which has multiple alleles. Previous phylogenetic analyses have revealed a connection between modern H. pylori strains and the movement of ancient human populations. In this study, H. pylori DNA was amplified from the stomach tissue of the Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi individual. This ancient individual was recovered from the Samuel Glacier in Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, British Columbia, Canada on the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and radiocarbon dated to a timeframe of approximately AD 1670 to 1850. This is the first ancient H. pylori strain to be characterized with vacA sequence data. The Tatshenshini H. pylori strain has a potential hybrid vacA m2a/m1d middle (m) region allele and a vacA s2 signal (s) region allele. A vacA s2 allele is more commonly identified with Western strains, and this suggests that European strains were present in northwestern Canada during the ancient individual's time. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the vacA m1d region of the ancient strain clusters with previously published novel Native American strains that are closely related to Asian strains. This indicates a past connection between the Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi individual and the ancestors who arrived in the New World thousands of years ago.

Insect succession and decomposition patterns on shaded and sunlit carrion in Saskatchewan in three different seasons.

A study was conducted on decomposition and insect succession in the Prairie Ecozone of Saskatchewan in the year 2000. Eighteen domestic pig carcasses (42-79 kg) were employed as human models for applications to future homicide investigations in this region. Two major variables were considered including the effect of season and habitat (sun versus shade). Research was conducted over 25 weeks, spanning three seasons: spring, summer and fall. Ambient temperature, internal carcass temperature, faunistic succession over time, and the rate of decay were all compared for each experimental variable. Results indicated that habitat was only a factor in the decompositional rate of carrion in the spring season. The ambient temperature was the chief factor determining the seasonal variations in decay rate. Maximum internal carcass temperatures always coincided with the presence of 3rd instar larvae. Patterns of insect succession occurred in a predictable sequence that varied across different habitats and seasons and was unique compared to previously published studies. Carcasses placed in spring and fall attracted a more diverse assemblage of insects than summer-placed carrion. Sun-exposed carrion also had greater variation in fauna than shaded carrion in spring and fall. Members of Silphidae were the first coleopteran colonizers in all habitats and seasons. This paper also marks the first record for Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) in Saskatchewan.