Bone histology of prehistoric inhabitants of the Canary Islands: comparison between El Hierro and Gran Canaria.

The trabecular bone mass (TBM) of the proximal epiphyses of right tibiae belonging to 273 prehispanic inhabitants of Gran Canaria (60. 81% males and 35.53% females) were assessed by histomorphometrical analysis of undecalcified samples and compared with that of 41 samples from El Hierro (52.63% males and 47.37% females). Among the prehispanic population of Gran Canaria 19.05% showed TBM values below 13.5% and 30.40% below 15%, although individual variability was high (range 6.71-35.4%). In sharp contrast with these results, only one case (2.44%) from El Hierro showed a TBM value below 15%, whereas mean TBM (23.50;+/- 5.60%) was significantly higher than that of the population of Gran Canaria (17.88 +/- 5.20%). The high prevalence of osteoporosis on Gran Canaria may reflect protein-calorie malnutrition. Prehistorically Gran Canaria exhibited a relatively high population density (30-40/km(2)) and a strong reliance on agriculture, in contrast with a lower population density (4/km(2)) on the island El Hierro, where the population consumed mainly marine products.

Relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on zinc, iron, copper, and manganese contents in different organs and urinary and fecal excretion.

The relative contribution of protein deficiency to the altered metabolism of certain trace elements in chronic alcoholics is not well defined, so this study was performed to analyse the relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on liver, bone, muscle, and blood cell content of copper, zinc, iron, and manganese, and also on serum levels and urinary and fecal excretion of these elements in four groups of eight animals each that were pair-fed during 8 weeks with a nutritionally adequate diet, a 36% (as energy) ethanol-containing isocaloric diet, a 2% protein isocaloric diet, and a 36% ethanol 2% protein isocaloric diet, respectively, following the Lieber-DeCarli model. Five additional rats were fed ad lib the control diet. Protein malnutrition, but not ethanol, leads to liver zinc depletion. Both ethanol and protein malnutrition cause muscle zinc depletion and increase urinary zinc and manganese excretion, whereas ethanol also increases urinary iron excretion and liver manganese content. No differences were observed regarding copper metabolism.

Comparison of bone lead in pre-Hispanic, 18th century and modern population of Tenerife.

The present study has been performed in order to determine concentrations of lead in the bone of 14 individuals who were interred towards the beginning of the 18th century at the church 'La Concepción' (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) of 15 Pre-Hispanic individuals of Tenerife and a modern sample for Tenerife, composed of 25 individuals. We have observed higher bone lead values in the modern population than in the ancient one (P = 0.0022), although Pre-Hispanic individuals and those of the 18th century showed similar bone lead values.

Bone trace element pattern in an 18th century population sample of Tenerife (Canary Islands): comparison with a prehistoric one.

We have determined bone strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn) content in 24 samples belonging to adult individuals who died toward the end of the 18th century and were interred in a church's floor on the island of Tenerife, comparing the results with those obtained in 14 prehistoric samples of the same island and also with those of 7 modern controls. No differences were observed between the two ancient groups, which showed higher bone strontium and barium than the modern sample, and a slightly lower Ba/Sr ratio, thus pointing to consumption of marine sources.

Corticomedular index of the right tibia in the diagnosis of osteopenia in prehistoric skeletal remains.

This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of the corticomedular index obtained at the midpoint of the shaft of right tibia as an indicator of osteopenia in a prehistoric sample composed of 133 individuals. Osteopenia was assessed by a histomorphometrical measure of trabecular bone volume (TBV) in an undecalcified bone section of a small part of the proximal epiphysis to: Mild, moderate, and severe osteopenia were defined as TBV values less than 17.5%, 15%, and 12.5%, respectively. The corticomedular index (CI) was determined on X-ray films of the tibiae. Mean TBV of the sample was 17.93 ± 4.97%, it was moderately correlated with CI (r = 0.43, p < 0.0001). CI values under 0.20 showed high specificity in the diagnosis of all degrees of osteopenia, whereas CI values under 0.275 showed relatively high sensitivity (90.4%) in the diagnosis of severe osteopenia. These methods were then prospectively applied in a further sample of 41 right tibiae also from a prehistoric sample of Gran Canaria. The results were similar to those in the larger sample. Thus, CI may be a useful tool in detecting osteopenia in earlier populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 10:37-44, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.