PA30 Evaluation of markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with premature canities

Abstract Premature canities (PC) is speculated to arise from senescence of functional melanosomes, endocrine abnormalities, micronutrient deficiencies and altered inflammatory responses. Deficiencies in vitamin D3, vitamin B12, copper, ferritin and calcium have been variably associated with PC. Hair greying has been recognized as an age-independent risk marker for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Inflammatory markers, including the monocyte-to-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol ratio (MHR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), are also associated with atherosclerosis and CVD. Drawing parallels, the hypothesis can be drawn that PC may serve as an external indicator of the inflammatory processes linked to atherosclerosis and the subsequent risk of CVD. This study aims to explore the association between PC, inflammatory markers and micronutrient deficiencies. We aimed to assess the markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, MHR, MLR and NLR, alongside levels of vitamin D3, vitamin B12, calcium and ferritin in patients with PC. We aimed to compare these findings with those from age- and sex-matched healthy controls and to analyse the correlation between inflammation markers and any deficiencies in vitamins and minerals. This cross-sectional study involved 100 participants ≤ 25 years of age: 50 patients with PC and 50 matched controls. Exclusion criteria included systemic or mucocutaneous conditions, hair disorders, recent treatments or medications, and pregnant or lactating patients. After informed consent was taken, personal and clinical histories were collected using a structured pro forma. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of complete blood count, lipid profile, calcium, ferritin, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Descriptive statistics and inferential tests (χ2-test or Mann–Whitney test) were employed, with P-values < 0.05 considered significant. Among the patients with PC, 30 (60%) reported onset of greying after age 15 years, with a mean onset age of 16.5 years (SD 3.6). Patients with PC exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of family history compared with controls (P < 0.001). Lower serum levels of vitamin D and vitamin B12 were observed in patients with PC compared with controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the MHR was significantly elevated in patients with PC. No significant associations were found between micronutrient deficiencies and inflammatory markers. Limitations of this study include the single-centre design, small sample size and convenience sampling, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Furthermore, the cross-sectional nature of our study limits the ability to establish causality or temporal relationships between PC, micronutrients and inflammatory markers. In conclusion, the significantly higher prevalence of positive family history in patients with PC underscores the proven genetic or epigenetic component. Lower serum vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels in patients with PC may suggest interplay between micronutrient deficiencies and altered hair follicle melanogenesis. Part of this study was part of the ICMR-STS 2023 project.