Using data from the FinnGen database, a large biobank with genetic and health data from Finnish individuals, the researchers used two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to obtain data on the potential causal relationship between blood mineral levels and chronic skin diseases.
Writing in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, they explained that transferrin saturation (TSAT) is genetically linked to psoriasis (PS), emphasizing the role of iron homeostasis in disease development and that increasing zinc and selenium intake may help reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD).
Skin conditions and mineral intake
Chronic inflammatory skin diseases like PS, AD, and acne vulgaris (AV) can significantly harm patients' well-being by causing psychological and financial stress. Their recurring nature, complex causes, difficult treatment options and complications such as persistent itching, scarring and hyperpigmentation contribute to these effects.
The researchers noted that mineral supplementation plays a crucial role in maintaining human physiological functions and preventing chronic inflammatory skin diseases like PS, AD and AV.
Deficiencies in minerals such as zinc, copper and iron can directly contribute to skin issues, with low zinc levels linked to conditions like pustular dermatitis and copper deficiency potentially a cause skin depigmentation.
Iron is especially important for immune function and wound healing, and imbalances in iron metabolism are associated with an increased risk for inflammatory skin disorders, such as PS. Some research has shown that higher zinc and selenium levels might reduce the risk of AD, however, the effect is modest. There is also evidence that iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women may reduce the risk of AD in their offspring, likely attributable to folic acid supplementation.
However, the relationship between minerals and skin health remains complex, with conflicting results in studies, particularly regarding the role of selenium in PS.
Study details
The researchers investigated iron homeostasis, measured through biomarkers like ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and TSAT in relation to PS.
Although a direct link between serum iron and PS was not observed, they found a significant positive link between TSAT, a key indicator of blood iron levels, and the risk of developing psoriasis. For every unit increase in TSAT, the risk of PS rose by 18%.
The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1799945 was identified as a key factor mediating the relationship between TSAT and PS. However, the study did not find any genetic link between PS and other minerals like iron, copper, zinc, selenium or calcium.
In the analysis of AD, a slight inverse relationship was found with zinc and selenium. Each unit increase in zink and selenium reduced the risk of AD by 8%.
“Future research should consider using more diverse databases and increasing the number of SNPs in the MR analysis to strengthen the causal inferences of the relationship between mineral elements and chronic inflammatory skin diseases, thereby enhancing the generalizability of the study results,” the researchers wrote.
Source: Volume 11 - 2024
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1404117
“A Mendelian randomization analysis of inflammatory skin disease risk due to mineral deficiencies”
Authors: Wu, Ronghui et al.