"Visbymannens" skelett vittnar om svår smärta
Sammanfattning
The aim of this paper is to make public an unusual skeletal remain with classical features of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Furthermore HLA B27 sequences have been studied in order to come as close as possible to a diagnosis of AS. The skeleton is the remnants of a man who lived some time between 900 and 1100 AD. PCR analyses of extracted bone material have shown that the man was a carrier of HLA-B27 sequences.
Our findings confirm that modern molecular technique can be used in investigations of paleopathological skeletons. The use of this technique in such investigations can be expected to give further insight into the prevalence and epidemiology of the HLA-B27 allele and perhaps also about disease susceptibility and severity. Molecular biology may also prove helpful in the upcoming revision of paleopathological criteria for diagnosis of chronic arthritis.