Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820
Beethoven-Haus Bonn, beethov@issay.com
A genetic analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair revealed that the composer had an increased genetic risk for liver disease, which may have led to his death. Also, while previous beliefs that he had lead poisoning have been debunked, no explanation has been given as to why he lost his hearing.
Tristan Begg The University of Cambridge and his colleagues analyzed the DNA of eight hairs that allegedly grew from Beethoven’s head to see if it could explain Beethoven’s health problems.
Born in 1770, Beethoven began losing his hearing in his mid-twenties as his fame grew. He was almost completely deaf by his mid-40s and experienced severe gastrointestinal problems during his lifetime. He died in 1827 when he was 56 years old. His post-mortem examination at the time revealed that he had severe liver damage.
The researchers’ first task was to confirm that the hair actually belonged to Beethoven. Begg says tresses are the quintessential memento of the Victorian era, with dozens of tresses attributed to Beethoven around the world.
So they went through each lock’s paperwork and used DNA analysis to date the samples. “In his DNA samples over the past few centuries, he tends to see an accumulation of damage patterns,” he says. “We want to confirm that these patterns match the age of the documented samples.”
Then they compared the DNA of eight hairs. Combining these methods, he concluded that five of them belonged to Beethoven. “We think he can authenticate these five locks with great confidence,” he says Begg.
Examining DNA data, researchers found that the composer had an increased genetic risk for liver disease. Begg says the risk is relatively benign for most people, but reports say Beethoven’s high alcohol consumption would have made him more likely to develop the condition. said this finding, combined with autopsy reports, suggested that cirrhosis caused by liver disease may have led to Beethoven’s death.
Attached is a lock of Beethoven’s hair used in the latest genetic research, along with a description written by the previous owner, Ignaz Moscheles.
San Jose State University Isla F. Brilliant Beethoven Research Center
The team also found evidence that Beethoven had hepatitis B infection in his best-preserved hair. This virus can also cause liver damage.
However, the researchers found no genetic factors associated with the composer’s gastrointestinal problems or hearing loss. “Late-onset hearing loss is rarely caused by a single gene,” he says.
“This kind of celebrity genetics research is fascinating,” says Leila Renshaw of Kingston University in England, and it satiates the same curiosity as reading their letters and diaries.
Previous attempts to sequence Beethoven’s DNA from hair samples suggested he had lead poisoning, but this study confirms that previous studies were done on women’s hair. clarifying. “Given this context, there are ethical justifications for using genetic analysis to dispel previous misconceptions and speculation,” says Renshaw.
topic:
