A few days ago, I told you that ticks behave like little vampires sucking our blood. So today I lift the veil on the myth of real vampires!
The myth of the werewolf and the vampire would be inspired by the observation in ancient times of patients suffering from certain forms of porphyria. A disease making the patient’s appearance resemble to a vampire like we know them from movies. There are 8 different types of porphyria, also called Gunter's disease. The disease is linked to the deficiency of enzymes necessary for the production of heme.
A reminder: heme is the structure found in our red blood cells which transport oxygen in the hemoglobin.
Porphyria impairs the biosynthesis of heme, which has a lot of consequences!
The precursors of heme are called porphyrins, which accumulate in the blood and tissues.
This accumulation can cause skin disorders and skin lesions following exposure to sunlight.
There is also a red coloration of the teeth and nails, destruction of the gums; bringing out the canines (the famous vampire teeth). An accumulation of porphyrins colors the urine, giving them a darker color.
And when porphyrins are exposed to sunlight they act as purple-red pigments in the skin, nails and teeth.
There is also an abnormally rapid beard and hair growth. Porphyrin also induces hemolytic anemia, making the substances that accumulate weaken the red blood cells.
In addition, this disease is characterized by mental disorders.
So I let you imagine those sick patients
- hairy
- the teeth (canine) that stand out
- red teeth and nails
- sensitivity to sunlight
-...
They have all the characteristics of the vampire described in the legends. (Except for the blood sucking.)
These ill people were rejected from society because they were considered vampires!
Do not panic: this disease is rare ( concerning 1/500 to 1/50 000 depending on the region) and is treated in developed countries by various techniques including hematopoietic stem cell transplants.
Here is the vampire myth that collapses! People who were thought to be vampires were actually sick and unwell! And therefore it’s not just a myth.
I hope you enjoyed this anecdote
More curiosities:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1940634/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1674443/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0248866315011169
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673609619255
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/09/01/1700632114.abstract
Kiss
D.