SUITABILITY OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY FOR THE DETERMINATION OF COLLAGENSTABILITY IN HISTORIC BONE TISSUE

In this report, we analysed the suitability of collagen immunohistoche mistry for the determination of collagen stability in historic bone sp ecimens. The analysis covered the immunolocalization of the collagen t ypes I, III, IV and in some specimens also of collagen VI in bone tiss ue ranging between 16,000 BC (Olduvai) to 1200 AD (Peru). Specific pos itive reactions were seen first in bone samples from Hassek Hoyok (Sou theast Turkey) dating from about 3000 BC. The intra- and interindividu al range of positive reactions, however, was large, although specimens of ''younger'' age showed better conservation of the tissue structure and coincidentally more often a specific collagen type immunoreaction . Our analysis demonstrates that collagen immunohistochemistry may pro vide a specific method for the analysis of intactness of collagen mole cules or defined fragments derived thereof. This technique thus provid es considerable information on the molecular structure of historic bon e tissue. (C) 1987 Academic Press Limited.