Abstract
Among the factors that would explain the distribution of mitochondrial lineages in Europe, climate and diseases may have played an important role. A possible explanation lies in the nature of the mitochondrion, in which the energy generation process produces reactive oxygen species that may influence the development of different diseases. The present study is focused on the medieval necropolis of San Miguel de Ereñozar (13th–16th centuries, Basque Country), whose inhabitants presented a high prevalence of rheumatic diseases and lived during the Little Ice Age (LIA). Our results indicate a close relationship between rheumatic diseases and mitochondrial haplogroup H, and specifically between spondyloarthropathies and sub-haplogroup H2. One possible explanation may be the climate change that took place in the LIA that favoured those haplogroups that were more energy-efficient, such as haplogroup H, to endure lower temperatures and food shortage. However, it had a biological trade-off: the increased risk of developing rheumatic diseases.
Highlights
Various pieces of evidence suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction could influence the pathogeny of some human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders[1], metabolic diseases[2], rheumatic pathologies[3,4], processes associated to age[5] and cancer[6]
It has been stated that haplogroups H and U are significantly related to a higher risk of developing degenerative bone diseases and with greater severity[13,14,15,16,17,18], whereas haplogroups J and T are significantly related to a decrease in the incidence and progression of OA13–15,17,19–21, with haplogroup J being associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA)[22]
The role of haplogroup H in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases is due to the fact that, as it shows a high energy efficiency, it generates a greater oxidative stress, increasing the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which causes the degradation of the cartilage and the risk of developing degenerative bone diseases[13,14,15,16,17,18]
Summary
Various pieces of evidence suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction could influence the pathogeny of some human diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders[1], metabolic diseases[2], rheumatic pathologies[3,4], processes associated to age[5] and cancer[6]. Given the high prevalence of rheumatic diseases found in the medieval necropolis of San Miguel de Ereñozar (Ereño, Bizkaia, Spain, 13th–16th centuries), in the present study we analyse the possible relationship between these diseases and the different mitochondrial lineages, considering the influence of the Earth’s temperature decrease during the Little Ice Age (14th–19th centuries) During this period, there was a marked temperature decrease in the Northern Hemisphere, which had negative consequences for survival[36], since the European glaciers advanced in the mountain valleys and the rainfall and floods increased, which caused bad harvests, famine, conflict, epidemics and increased mortality[37,38,39,40]. We believe that these conditions could have influenced the energy production process of mitochondria, promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of different rheumatic diseases
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
