% pubman genre = article @article{item_3497314, title = {{Using SXRF and LA-ICP-TOFMS to explore evidence of treatment and physiological responses to leprosy in medieval Denmark}}, author = {Brozou, Anastasia and Mannino, Marcello A. and Van Malderen, Stijn J. M. and Garrevoet, Jan and Pubert, Eric and Fuller, Benjamin T. and Dean, M. Christopher and Colard, Thomas and Santos, Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric and Lynnerup, Niels and Boldsen, Jesper L. and J{\o}rkov, Marie Louise and Soficaru, Andrei Dorian and Vincze, Laszlo and Le Cabec, Adeline}, language = {eng}, issn = {2079-7737}, doi = {10.3390/biology12020184}, publisher = {MDPI}, year = {2023}, abstract = {{Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, leads to blood mineral imbalances: low levels of zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iron and high levels of copper. Interestingly, in late medieval Europe, minerals were used to treat leprosy. We investigated physiological responses to leprosy and possible evidence of treatment in dental tissues of leprosy sufferers from medieval Denmark and early 20th century Romania when multidrug therapy was not then yet invented. Using Synchrotron Fluorescence (SXRF) and laser ablation (LA-ICP-TOFMS), we show marked covariations in the zinc, calcium, and magnesium distributions, which are compatible with clinical studies but cannot be directly attributed to leprosy. Minerals used historically as a treatment for leprosy show no detectable intake (arsenic, mercury) or a diffuse distribution (lead) related to the daily consumption of contaminated water and food. Intense lead enrichments indicate acute incorporations, potentially through the administration of lead-enriched medication or the mobilization of lead from bone stores to the bloodstream during intense physiological stress related to leprosy. However, comparisons with a healthy control group are needed to ascertain these interpretations. The positive correlations and the patterns observed between lead and essential elements may indicate underlying pathophysiological conditions, demonstrating the potential of the two techniques for investigating diseases in past populations.}}, journal = {{Biology}}, volume = {12}, pages = {184}, }