Genome analysis of existing 'Beethoven's hair' raises the possibility that Beethoven died of hepatitis B



Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most important composers in music history, known for his masterpieces such as ' Symphony No. 5 (Fate) ' and ' For Elise '. Research teams such as the University of Cambridge analyzed the genome taken from Beethoven's hair and reported that Beethoven's cause of death may have been ` ` hepatitis B ''.

Genomic analyzes of hair from Ludwig van Beethoven: Current Biology
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.041

Beethoven's DNA
https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/beethovens-dna-reveals-health-and-family-history-clues

1st ever analysis of Beethoven's DNA sheds light on the mystery of his death | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/1st-ever-analysis-of-beethovens-dna-sheds-light-on-the-mystery-of-his-death

Born in 1770 in what is now Bonn , Germany, Beethoven suffered from hearing loss in his mid-twenties and is said to have completely lost his hearing around the age of forty. In addition to suffering from gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal pain and diarrhea throughout his life, he experienced an attack of jaundice , a symptom of liver disease in 1821, and a postmortem autopsy revealed severe cirrhosis of the liver. I was.


by

Tim Green

In order to investigate Beethoven's health condition, the research team investigated eight bundles of samples that are said to be 'Beethoven's hair' existing in the United States and Europe. As a result, it turned out that at least two strands of hair, including the hair that German composer Ferdinand Hiller cut from Beethoven shortly after his death, were not Beethoven's. The hair owned by Hiller was analyzed in a past study that concluded that 'Beethoven was lead poisoned ,' but it was the hair of an Ashkenazi Jewish woman.

Our analysis identified five of the eight tresses as belonging to one European man, and that these tresses belonged to Beethoven. William Meredith, a member of the research team at San Jose State University, said, 'Hiller's tress was found to be of female origin, not Beethoven's, so previous analyzes based solely on this tress may have been attributed to Beethoven. No. Future studies to test for lead, sedatives and mercury should be based on samples authenticated as belonging to Beethoven.'

The image below is one of the five hair bundles identified by analysis as belonging to Beethoven, the 'Stumpf hair bundle' used for whole genome analysis because it was the best preserved.



Genome analysis of Beethoven based on hair samples confirmed that Beethoven had an increased risk of a genetic disorder called

hereditary hemochromatosis, which is associated with liver disease. Although this risk is not so great, considering that Beethoven was quite a drinker, alcohol intake may have adversely affected the liver.

It also revealed that Beethoven had been infected with the virus that causes hepatitis B at least a few months before his death. Johannes Krause, a member of the research team and a professor of genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said: ``We can't say for sure what caused Beethoven's death, but at least it's a genetic risk and hepatitis B virus infection. We were able to confirm the



The research team also investigated the gastrointestinal

disorders that had plagued Beethoven for many years . The risk of tolerance was shown to be low. The research team also reported that there was some genetic protection against irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) , so there was no genetic explanation for Beethoven's gastrointestinal disorders.

In addition, the research team is also conducting a study comparing the genome taken from Beethoven's hair with the genome of existing relatives of Beethoven. As a result, it was also revealed that the paternal Y chromosome did not match between the surviving relatives and Beethoven. In other words, it was also suggested that some of Beethoven's ancestors had illegitimate children.

Tristan Begg, lead author of the paper and a Ph.D. However, future research needs to clarify the extent to which each factor was involved.' We hope that any remaining questions regarding his health and family history will be resolved.'



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