Wall paintings facies and their possible genetic correlates in the ancient Pompeii: A bio-anthropologic message from the past?
The figurative arts and precisely the ancient Pompeian wall paintings portraits can provide an additional source of information in supplementing bio-anthropological studies. There are several genetic diseases with a wide spectrum of congenital bone stigmata in association to distinctive facial features. Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, also named nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by unusual skeletal changes, such as macrocephaly, facial asymmetry, hypertelorism, frontal and parietal bossing caused by germline mutations of the gene PTCH1. The Gorlin syndrome, clinically defined in 1963, existed during Dynastic Egyptian times, as revealed by a spectrum of skeletal findings compatible with the syndrome in mummies dating back to three thousand years ago and, most likely, in the ancient population of Pompeii. In the present research, we discuss the potential relationship between Pompeian wall paintings portrait and the cranio-metric bone changes revealed among the Pompeian skull collections assuming that the ancient portraits can constitute an important tool that should be strictly integrated with osteologic and biomolecular data in order to argue a syndromic diagnosis in ancient population.
Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, Clinical Pathology Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. Electronic address: giovanni.ponti@unimore.it.
Giovanni
G
Ponti
Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, Dermatology Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena 41124, Italy.
Marco
M
Manfredini
Department of Dermatology, Staedtisches Klinikum Muenchen, Munich, Germany; Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
Cristel
C
Ruini
D060432:Anthropology, Medical; D001478:Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D000076144:Egypt, Ancient / Q000453:epidemiology; D019066:Facies; D015870:Gene Expression; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D000076145:Greece, Ancient / Q000453:epidemiology; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D009106:Mummies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000266:history; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*; D000072081:Patched-1 Receptor / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D012384:Rome / Q000453:epidemiology
C000606236:PTCH1 protein, human; D000072081:Patched-1 Receptor
Gorlin–Goltz syndrome; NBCCS; NBCCS history; PTCH1; Pompeii; Skeletal anomalies; Wall paintings portrait