SERONEGATIVE SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES AND DIFFUSE IDIOPATHIC SKELETAL HYPEROSTOSIS IN ANCIENT NORTHERN CHILE

Bioarchaeological research of ancient Amerindians was undertaken to te st the hypothesis that seronegative spondyloarthropathies (SNS) and di ffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) existed in prehistoric S outh Americans. An osteological-radiographic model was developed from clinical literature and systematically applied to 504 archaeological h uman remains housed at the Universidad de Tarapaca in Arica, Chile, to search for evidence of these arthritides. The results showed that SNS existed with an average frequency of 7% for the adult sample and DISH averaged 4% in individuals over 40 years old. It was found that the a ntiquity of SNS date back at least 5,000 years in both New World and O ld World populations. In contrast, the antiquity of DISH in the Americ as is not clear because no previous studies have dealt with this subje ct; however, this research finds mild DISH cases dating back 4,000 yea rs in northern Chile. It was also found that SNS and DISH exhibit a tr end of increasing incidence with the advent of agro-pastoral activitie s and village formation.