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Amoebiasis distribution in the past: first steps using an immunoassay technique
Marcelo Luiz Carvalho Goncalves1, Valmir Laurentino da Silva, Carlos Mauricio de Andrade
1Escola Nacional de Saude Publica, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulhoes 1480, CEP 21041-210, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|February 18, 2004
Summary
Researchers can now detect ancient parasitic infections like Entamoeba histolytica using a new ELISA test on fossilized feces. This protein detection method works even on samples thousands of years old, offering a reliable way to study past intestinal parasites.
Area of Science:
- Paleoparasitology
- Molecular Archaeology
- Immunology
Background:
- Identifying ancient parasites in human feces is challenging due to differential preservation of structures.
- Proteins, however, can survive environmental degradation for centuries and be detected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the feasibility of detecting Entamoeba histolytica copro-antigens in ancient fecal remains.
- To establish immunoassays as a reliable method for studying past intestinal parasites.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a commercially available enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) kit.
- The kit employs a monoclonal antibody-peroxidase conjugate specific for E. histolytica adhesin.
- Examined 90 desiccated fecal specimens from archaeological sites across South America, North America, Africa, and Europe.
Main Results:
- Successfully detected Entamoeba histolytica copro-antigens in 20 out of 90 ancient fecal samples.
- Positive samples dated from approximately 5300 years BP to the 19th Century AD.
- Positive findings originated from archaeological sites in Argentina, USA, France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
Conclusions:
- Immunoassays, specifically ELISA, provide a reliable tool for detecting protozoan antigens in ancient fecal material.
- This protein-based detection method overcomes limitations of morphological identification in paleoparasitology.
- The study validates the use of copro-antigen detection for investigating the history of intestinal parasites.