Diagnóstico paleopatológico y molecular de Treponema pallidum en una muestra ósea antigua del sur de la Sabana de Bogotá

Abstract

Paleopathology enables the study of diseases in ancient populations through the analysis of human remains, integrating tools from molecular biology, histology, and archaeology. This study presents a differential diagnosis applied to an individual with lesions compatible with a chronic infectious disease, recovered from the archaeological site Estación Portal Tunal, located in the southern Sabana de Bogotá (Colombia), radiocarbon dated to 720 ± 30 years BP (Late Muisca period). An integrative approach combining macroscopic, radiological, histological, and molecular analyses was employed to evaluate the possible presence of Treponema pallidum. The bone lesions, affecting both tibiae (predominantly the right), included periostitis, osteitis, and Harris lines; histological analysis, conducted through stereoscopy, conventional light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and polarized light, revealed structures such as Polster, Grenzstreifen, sinuous lacunae, enlarged Haversian canals, and resorption lacunae, all indicative of chronic inflammation. Molecular detection targeting the tpp15 gene enabled the recovery and confirmation of T. pallidum sequences through NGS and phylogenetic analysis, constituting the first molecular evidence of treponematosis in pre-Hispanic remains from Colombia. Additionally, a Python workflow was implemented to compare the tp92 gene between T. pallidum subsp. pallidum and T. pallidum subsp. pertenue, using publicly available complete genomes. This tool, designed for educational and exploratory purposes, automates sequence retrieval, identifies mutations, and visualizes key differences that, despite a genomic identity greater than 99.5%, may be associated with variations in transmission, tropism, and clinical manifestations. The findings expand current knowledge on the historical distribution of T. pallidum in the Americas and highlight the potential of integrating bioarchaeological, molecular, and bioinformatic approaches in the study of ancient pathogens.