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For the first time, a study explains why Dupuytren’s disease is more common in Northern Europe: two of the most important genetic risk factors for this disease are of Neanderthal origin.
Dupuytren’s disease corresponds to a thickening of the palm of the hand which leads to a progressive flexion of one or more fingers. It is benign and painless but very disabling. In France, it would affect between 3.5% and 11% of the population with a male predominance.
30% of Norwegians over 60 suffer from it
It is nicknamed “viking disease” because it is much more common in northern Europeans than in people of African descent. In Norway, for example, 30% of people over 60 have Dupuytren’s disease. Scientists wanted to understand this geographic prevalence.
A disease with a multifactorial etiology
The origin of this disease is poorly understood. It would be multifactorial involving genetic factors, food, certain drugs and predisposing pathologies. A recent study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, was precisely interested in the genetic factors that may be involved in the onset of the disease.
Scientists compared the genomes of 7,871 patients and 645,880 healthy controls. This allowed them to identify 61 genetic risk factors for Dupuytren’s disease. Among them, three come from the genome of Neanderthals. Of these three genetic risk factors, two are considered to be the two most important risk factors for the disease.
This discovery leads researchers to believe that Neanderthal ancestry is an important factor in explaining the prevalence of this disease in Europe today. “This means that people who suffer from Dupuytren’s disease probably have ancestors who had come into contact with Neanderthals”. said Hugo Zeberg, co-author of the study. “We cannot say that the populations of northern Europe had a special relationship with Neanderthals. In fact, we believe that most people with roots outside of Africa have similar Neanderthal ancestry, indicating that the admixture occurred soon after the exodus from Africa.” he added.