Researchers who examined DNA from famous German musician Ludwig van Beethoven have learned new details about his health.
The DNA—which came from Beethoven's hair—did not provide a cause for his deafness. But the samples did find that he had a genetic (遗传的) risk for liver (肝脏) disease. The DNA also showed signs that Beethoven was infected (感染) in the last months of his life. The virus (病毒) is very harmful to the liver. The findings recently appeared in a study in the publication Current Biology.
The findings suggest Beethoven's liver problems were enough to cause the liver failure widely believed to have killed him. The musician was also believed to have been a heavy drinker, which can affect the liver.
March 26 of 2023 is the 196th anniversary of Beethoven's death in Vienna, Austria. The musician himself wrote that he wanted doctors to study his health problems after he died. Since his death, scientists have long tried to piece together Beethoven's medical history. And they have offered a series of possible explanations for his many health conditions. But new examination technology and methods now make it possible to revisit health and death information by studying DNA.
After cleaning Beethoven's hair one piece at a time, scientists put the pieces into a substance(物质)and collected small amounts of DNA. Collecting enough genetic materials was difficult because DNA in hair gets cut up into very small pieces. But finally, after using up almost 3 metres of Beethoven's hair, the team was able to piece together a genome that they could test for signs of genetic disease.
The question of what caused Beethoven's hearing loss remains unanswered, said Ohio State University's Dr. Avraham Z. Cooper. Cooper said that enigma might continue forever because genetics can only show us half of the "nature and nurture" elements that make up our health.
However, Cooper added that the mystery is part of what makes Beethoven so interesting and popular. "I think the fact that we can't know is OK," he said.
