title: Hereditary Gigantism-the biblical giant Goliath and his brothers.
abstract: The biblical giant Goliath has an identifiable family tree suggestive of autosomal dominant inheritance. We suggest that he had a hereditary pituitary disorder possibly due to the AIP gene, causing early onset and familial acromegaly or gigantism. We comment on the evidence within the scriptures for his other relatives including a relative with six digits and speculate on possible causes of the six digits. Recognition of a hereditary pituitary disorder in the biblical Goliath and his family sheds additional information on his and other family members' battles with David and his relatives.
authors: Regional Medical Genetics Centre, Queens University Belfast, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, BT9 7AB, UK.
authors: Deirdre E
authors: DE
authors: Donnelly
authors: Regional Medical Genetics Centre, Queens University Belfast, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, BT9 7AB, UK ; Centre for Cancer Research and molecular biology, Queens University Belfast, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, BT9 7AB, UK.
authors: Patrick J
authors: PJ
authors: Morrison
mesh_terms: D001633:Bible; D005877:Gigantism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000266:history; D035781:Siblings