title: Molecular paleoparasitological diagnosis of Ascaris sp. from coprolites: new scenery of ascariasis in pre-Colombian South America times.
abstract: Paleoparasitological studies using microscopy showed that Ascarisand Trichuris trichiura are the human intestinal parasites most found in archaeological sites. However, in pre-Columbian South American archaeological sites, Ascaris is rare. In this work we standardized a molecular methodology for Ascaris diagnosis directly from ancient DNA retrieved from coprolites. Using cythochrome b gene (142 bp) target, ancient DNA sequences were retrieved from South American samples, negative by microscopy. Moreover, the methodology applied was sensitive enough to detect ancient DNA extracted from 30 Ascaris eggs from an European coprolite. These results revealed a new scenery for the paleodistribution of Ascaris in South America.
authors.affiliation: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, FiocruzRio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leles
authors.forename: Adauto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Paulo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Alena Mayo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Iñiguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history; D001200:Ascaris / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D010164:Paleopathology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D045303:Cytochromes b