54 • Noreen Tuross 



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Summary of audience discussion: The ability to identify in ar- 

 cheological human remains the serum antibodies present at the time 

 of death would provide access to an incredibly valuable legacy of 

 the history of specific infectious diseases suffered by an ancient 

 population. However, it must be emphasized that demonstration of 

 the presence of a major molecular IgG fraction does not guarantee 

 that the variable end of the light chain is preserved well enough to 

 reveal its immunologic specificity, which is necessary for identi- 

 fication of the specific infectious agent against which the antibody is 

 directed. Unfortunately the next analytical step in pursuit of that 

 goal involves the use of chemicals strong enough by themselves to 

 alter even the preserved protein. Recent studies on an excavated, 

 150-year-old seaman of the mid- 19th century Franklin expedition, 

 buried deep in North American arctic permafrost, demonstrated the 

 research potential of cryopreserved bodies, but the surface arctic 

 summer thawing conditions frustrate such efforts in most instances. 

 Ancient tissues usually contain a host of polypeptides secondary to 

 partially degraded protein, and the potential of these to react with 

 immunological diagnostic reagents is untested. For this reason it 

 appears desirable to include more controls than usual when applying 

 such immunodiagnostic methods to archeological remains, and to 

 be meticulously cautious in interpretation of their results. Investiga- 

 tions leading to diagnostic security in the use of Immunological 

 methods would be a major contribution to paleopathology. A recent 

 Oxford conference presentation suggested the presence of protein 

 within the hydroxyapatite crystals of fossil bone. The potential 

 value of recovering intact protein there justifies serious research 

 pursuit of that observation. 



Ziinnh Palenpalhology Symp 1988 



