A molecular portrait of maternal sepsis from Byzantine Troy.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Devault AM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5224923 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
A molecular portrait of maternal sepsis from Byzantine Troy.
Devault Alison M AM Mortimer Tatum D TD Kitchen Andrew A Kiesewetter Henrike H Enk Jacob M JM Golding G Brian GB Southon John J Kuch Melanie M Duggan Ana T AT Aylward William W Gardner Shea N SN Allen Jonathan E JE King Andrew M AM Wright Gerard G Kuroda Makoto M Kato Kengo K Briggs Derek Eg DE Fornaciari Gino G Holmes Edward C EC Poinar Hendrik N HN Pepperell Caitlin S CS
eLife 20170110
Pregnancy complications are poorly represented in the archeological record, despite their importance in contemporary and ancient societies. While excavating a Byzantine cemetery in Troy, we discovered calcified abscesses among a woman's remains. Scanning electron microscopy of the tissue revealed 'ghost cells', resulting from dystrophic calcification, which preserved ancient maternal, fetal and bacterial DNA of a severe infection, likely chorioamnionitis. <i>Gardnerella vaginalis</i> and <i>Stap ...[more]
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