Viking's hand disease: Researchers have found its remote origin, and you will be surprised

Dupuytren's disease, also known as the 'viking's hand' disease, is the subject of quite a lot of debate in the world of research. While it is considered as a hereditary disease, it is by no means fatal, but rather disabling in everyday life. Dupuytren's disease usually appears around the late 40s, or early 50s, and it causes a contracture of the hand.

What are the signs of the 'viking's hand' disease?

Over the years, the ring finger and the little finger start to curl up and they eventually end up permanently bent towards the inside of the hand, unable to be stretched, or moved. In common places, Dupuytren's disease is also known as the 'viking's hand' disease, due to the fact that many manifestations of the disease are found in people from Northern Europe.

In fact, apart from Japan, all the countries affected by this disease were Viking migration lands. Conversely, the African continent and the Indian peninsula are almost totally spared. The figures speak for themselves. Between 1% and 3% of the world's population are affected by the viking's hand' disease, while 30% of Icelanders suffer from it.

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Neanderthal origins could be a risk factor

But beyond its Nordic origins, researchers may have found the deeper cause of this disease. Dr Hugo Zeberg, an assistant professor at the department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, explains why the researchers have focused on Neanderthal origins for their study, according to Eureka Alert.

Since Dupuytren's contracture is rarely seen in individuals of African descent, we wondered whether gene variants from Neanderthals can partly explain why people outside of Africa are affected.

According to the results of this new study, three of the 70 genetic risk factors originate from Neanderthals, including two of the most significant. Indeed, according to the results of the study, Neanderthal genes account for 1.8% to 2.6% of the genetic make-up of people of Eurasian descent.

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Eureka Alert: The Viking disease can be due to gene variants inherited from Neanderthals