Möller-Barlow disease in archaeology: Preliminary study of biochemical detection

Human bone is the most direct source for reconstructing health and living conditions of ancient populations. However, many diseases remain undetected in palaeopathology. Möller-Barlow disease (scurvy) is a historically well-documented metabolic disease and must have been common in clinical and sub-clinical severity. Due to long incubation periods and the subtle nature of bone changes osteological evidence is relatively rare (Brickley & Ives 2008). Möller-Barlow disease is caused by deficiency of dietary vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and evokes symptoms like fatigue, haemorrhage, inflammations, delayed wound healing and pain. Vitamin C is a cofactor for the hydroxylation of the amino acids proline and lysine which are essential for the production of intact connective tissue by cross-linking the propeptides in collagen. In a preliminary study we tested the detectability of Möller-Barlow disease by analysis of relative quantitative variability of hydroxylated amino acids in collagen (Pendery & Koon 2013). Samples (N=9) were taken from children with (n=3, cranium, femur, tibia) and without (n=4, cranium, femur, tibia) apparent bone reactions indicative of Möller-Barlow disease, as well as from adults with lethal traumata (n=2; negative controls). The skeletal remains originated from two early medieval cemeteries from Switzerland. Gas chromatographic (GC) analysis revealed minor differences between the samples. So far children with no pathologic alterations had fairly same values as negative controls while children with bone reactions paradoxically exhibited even slightly higher values of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. Future research demands for larger sample size and has to discuss sampling strategies. Beside possible misdiagnosis of Möller-Barlow disease it is arguable if only the newly built bone should be analysed even though this could lead to problems related to small sample quantity. It also remains to be seen to which extent varying turnover rates of different skeletal elements, especially in children, must be taken into account.

Sendschreiben an die Redakteure der in Leipzig erscheinenden Deutschen Kriegerzeitung : Wilucki, Oberlieutenant im 2. Linien-Inf.-Regt., Müller, Oberlieutenant in der Inf.-Garde-Division, Erdmannsdorf, Lieutenant im Leib-Inf.-Regt., v. Zychlinski, Lieutenant im Leib.-Inf.-Regt., Andrée, Lieutenant im Ingenieur-Corps

Boberach: Der Aufsatz "Wie denken Preußens Offiziere von einem deutschen Heere?" hat das Offizierskorps verletzt, daß sich gegen jede Mediatisierung Preußens wendet, weil Preußens Heer allein Deutschland vor dem Untergang retten kann

Dr. Joel Müller [Illustration] : Dozent 1884 - 1895

Scan von Monochrom-Mikroform

David Heinrich Müller [Illustration] : (Porträt)

Scan von Monochrom-Mikroform

S. Müller [Rezension]

Is. Bamberger

Pseudo-Kimchi (Müller) [Nachricht] : (zu S. 384)

Moritz Steinschneider

Anitta Müller

Nanny Margulies-Auerbach

Ernst Müller : Der Sohar und seine Lehre [Rezension]

H. G.

Walter Müller: Wenn wir 1918 ... [Rezension]

N.