The evolutionary origin of Western disease Frits A.J. Muskiet Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen 5000 generations
400 generations 5 generations
Deviation from chimpanzee
Out of Africa First homo sapiens Agricultural revolution
Industrial revolution Current homo sapiens
Why is this funny?
And why is this ‘normal’?
1
Diabetes
ellitus
1995 (118 mln) -2010 (221 mln): 87% increase
Europe: 50% (22-33) USA: 35% (13-17.5)
India/Asia: 111% (63-132)
Africa: 93% (7-13) Oceania: 44% (0.9-1.3) South-Am: 81% (12-22)
Courtesy Dr. J.M.W. van den Ouweland
NL: life expectancy and life expectancy without physical limitation increase, but life expectancy without chronic disease falls! Men
Women
48!
42!
Bruggink J-W, Lodder B, Kardal M, CBS webmagazine 12 februari 2009
Om het heden te begrijpen moet men het verleden kennen
2
Earth biological and geographic evolution Human (Scientific classification) 0.16 homo sapiens Kingdom: Animalia 2.0 homo Phylum: Chordata 3.4 N and S America connected 5.5 hominids Class: Mammalia 25 hominoids Order: Primates 30 S America and Antartica separated Superfamily: Hominoidea (hominoids) 40 anthropoid primates Family: Hominidae (hominids) 50 Australia and Antartica separated Subfamily: Homininae (hominines) 60 early primates 65 dinosaur extinct Tribe: Hominini (hominins) 85 Africa and America separated Genus: Homo
• Sss
150 birds 210 mammals 220 dinosaur 310 insects/reptiles 360 amphibians on land 420 fish 430 plants 700 invertebrates 1500 eukaryotes 2500 O2 in atmosphere stabilized/aerobic bacteria 3400 photosynthetic bacteria 3500 bacteria 4500 earth
Species: H. sapiens
10000
1000
100
10
gibbon
gorilla
orangutan
Million years ago 1
0,1
chimpanzee bonobo
5.9 Myr
0
0,01
homo sapiens
160.000 yr
7.2 Myr 17.9 Myr
Australopithecus africanus
13.9 Myr
Australopithecus afarensis
Homo erectus Neanderthal
Hacia. Trends in Genetics 2001 Based on β-globulin region
Homo habilis
Homo sapiens sapiens
3
Out of (East) Africa again and again
160.000 years ago bottle neck 10,000 persons founder population
Stringer, Nature 2003
Middle Awash, Ethiopia White, Nature 2003
160,000 years old H. sapiens idaltu from Herto, Middle Awash, Ethiopia
White, Nature 2003; Gibbons, Science 2003
Reconstruction: www.dienekes.com/blog/archives/cat_physical_ anthropology.html
We are of East African ancestry: 3rd Out of Africa wave
Genetic diversity highest among Africans Adaptation to local conditions – Mutation. – Gene flow (no admixture). – Genetic drift /bottle necks (small populations
72,000 BC Toba Vulcano, 6 y temp 5-10 degrees down
Migration speed: no more than one mile every eight years
4
‘Race’ is biologically meaningless. ‘Out of Africa’ predicts more genetic homogeneity in the geographic region of origin of a person’s ancestry Genetic variation: sub-Sahara Africa>Eurasia> East Asia>Oceania>America
Black/African White/Caucasian
Asian
Pacific Islander/ Hawai
American Indian/Alaska Microsatellite clustering of 52 world-wide populations Zhivotovsky Am J Hum Genet 2003
Do we people still adapt genetically? Candidate gene
Hypothesized selective pressure
Lactase persistence G6PD Duffy blood group HbC (Mossi, N-Ghana, -1000 y) TNFSF5 CCR5 (-700 y) H2 haplotype DRD4 MAO- A AGT CYP3A TAS2R38
improved nutrition from milk protection malaria protection malaria protection malaria protection malaria protection smallpox, HIV ? but only in Europe cognition, behavior cognition, behavior protection hypertension protection hypertension bitter taste perception Balter, Science 2005
So, what went wrong?
5
The background of typically “Western” disease is not genetic! Less than 5% of major CA and CAD is ‘merely’ genetic (i.e. derives from highly penetrant germline mutations)
Willett, Science 2002
Our genome is perfect since it is the result of millions of years of evolution It changes with 0.5% per million years
Environmental influences on major diseases PARs for lifestyle (here: specific aspects of diet, overweight, inactivity, smoking)
>90% >80% >70%
>70%
Willett, Science 2002
6
Macronutrient composition Fatty acid composition
Glycemic load
Fiber content
Dietary characteristics changed by the agricultural and industrial revolutions
Micronutrient density
Na-K ratio
Acid-base balance
Cordain AJCN 2005
UK/US yearly sugar consumption 1815-2000 for 70 kg/person that is: 200 g/day