2023-06-14 23:30:04
Many northern European men over the age of 60 suffer from the so-called Viking disease, which is that the fingers become locked in a bent position. The ailment has now been found to be linked to his Neanderthal connection.
researchers of the Karolinska Institute (Sweden), have used data from more than 7,000 affected individuals to search for genetic risk factors for the disease. The results, published in «Molecular Biology and Evolution», show that three of the most important risk factors are inherited from Neanderthals.
Until 30% of Northern European men over the age of 60 They have Dupuytren’s contracture. It is sometimes called “Viking disease” because it mostly affects people of Northern European ancestry. The condition is much more common in men than women and usually begins as a lump in the palm of the hand that grows larger and causes one or more fingers to lock in a bent position. The condition is usually not painful, but sometimes the nodules can be tender to pressure.
Neanderthals lived in Europe and western Asia until around 40,000 years ago, when they were replaced by modern humans. However, before disappearing, Neanderthals mixed with modern humans. As a result, between one and two percent of the genomes of people with roots outside of Africa come from Neanderthals.
“Since Dupuytren’s contracture is rarely seen in individuals of African descent, we wondered if Neanderthal genetic variants may partly explain why people from outside of Africa are affected,” says Hugo Zeberg, an adjunct professor in the department. Physiology and Pharmacology of the Karolinska Institutet.
The researchers used data from three large clinical cohorts from the US, UK and Finland, which allowed them to compare the genomes of 7,871 affected and 645,880 healthy controls. They identified 61 genetic risk factors for Dupuytren’s contracture. The researchers found that three of them had been inherited from Neanderthals, and among them were the second and third most important risk factors.
The study is further proof that the miscegenation between Neanderthals and our ancestors has important consequences on the prevalence of some diseases, especially among certain groups.
“This is a case where the encounter with Neanderthals has affected who suffers from diseases, although we should not exaggerate the connection between Neanderthals and Vikings,” says Hugo Zeberg.
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