Revisiting the tuberculosis and leprosy cross-immunity hypothesis: Expanding the dialogue between immunology and paleopathology

ConclusionsWe recommend that bioarchaeological reconstructions of past disease experience take into consideration models that include variation in immune function based on past environments and social contexts. This provides a unique opportunity to conduct comprehensive analyses on complex immunological processes.SignificanceExtrapolating results from experimental immunology to larger populations elucidates complexities of disease cross-immunity and highlights the importance of synthesizing archaeological, social, paleopathological and biological data as a means of understanding disease in the past.LimitationsAll extrapolations from data produced from in vitro studies to past populations, using living donors, pose significant limitations where, among other factors, the full reconstruction of past environmental and social contexts can frequently be sparse or incomplete.Suggestions for future researchTo reduce the limitations of integrating experimental immunology with bioarchaeological reconstructions (i.e. how to use skeletal samples to reconstruct inflammatory phenotypes), we propose that osteoimmunology, or the study of the interplay between immune cells and bone cells, should be considered a vital discipline and perhaps the foundation for the expansion of paleoimmunology.

Source: International Journal of Paleopathology - June 10, 2019 Category: Pathology Source Type: research