Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection

Abstract

Background: HarrisLines(HL)andLinearEnamelHypoplasia(LEH) are non-specific skeletal markers of health status. The aetiology of these markers has not yet been confirmed due to a lack of contem- porary clinical studies but is assumed to occur due to health insults associated with low socio-economic status (SES). Most studies re- garding HL and LEH have been conducted on the archaeological re- mains of historic populations. This provides a problem when trying to determine the aetiology of the afore-mentioned defects as medical histories of those individuals being tested are unknown. Objectives: This study aims to determine if there is an association be- tween LEH and HL in a contemporary South African skeletal popu- lation with mainly low social background individuals.Sample and Methods The skull and x-rays of long bones of individuals (n=592) aged between 20–90 years who lived between 1900 – 1995 sampled from the Stellenbosch University Skeletal Repository, were assessed for presence of HL and LEH. Results: The study found no significant association between LEH and HL, with 7.64% of those with HL also having LEH (p=0.512). There was also no significant association between HL and LEH in females (p=0.331), but a significant association in males (p=0.027). A significant association between LEH, HL and different age-at- death groups was found in the middle group (40–59 years-of-age-at- death; p=0.006), with the least significant association in the oldest age-at-death group (>60 years-of-age-at-death; p=0.418). Conclusion: In this South African cohort, no clear association between LEH and HL could be established, indicating that the aetiology of these disease markings should still be investigated.