Serum arylesterase activity, vitamin B12 status, and oxidative stress in premature hair greying: a case-control study among vegetarians and non-vegetarians for males
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53704/Keywords:
Premature Hair Greying, Arylesterase, Vitamin B12 Deficiency;, Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant enzymesAbstract
Premature hair greying (PHG) is a common condition associated with oxidative stress and nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin B12 deficiency is particularly common among vegetarians and may contribute to oxidative damage linked to PHG. This case-control study investigated serum vitamin B12 levels and oxidative stress markers, including arylesterase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA), among 125 male participants. The participants were divided into four groups: vegetarians with PHG (n=37), non-vegetarians with PHG (n=34), vegetarian controls (n=23), and non-vegetarian controls (n=31). We used standard biochemical methods to measure vitamin B12 and antioxidant markers, and analysed the data using one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, linear regression, and logistic regression. Compared with controls, participants with PHG had significantly higher MDA levels and lower vitamin B12, arylesterase, catalase, and GPx levels (P<0.001). Vegetarians with PHG recorded the lowest vitamin B12 concentration (192.81 ± 17.19 pg/mL) and the highest oxidative stress burden. Vitamin B12 was negatively correlated with MDA (r=−0.416, P=0.0003), but positively correlated with arylesterase (r=0.382, P=0.001), catalase (r=0.412, P=0.0004), and GPx (r=0.354, P=0.0025). Among vegetarian participants with PHG, vitamin B12 and arylesterase showed a significant positive association (r=0.504, R²=0.255, P=0.0015). Logistic regression identified vegetarian diet (OR=3.24, 95% CI: 1.45–7.22, P=0.0042) and vitamin B12 deficiency (<200 pg/mL) (OR=4.82, 95% CI: 2.12–10.95, P=0.0002) as significant predictors of PHG. Overall, the findings suggest that vitamin B12 deficiency and reduced antioxidant defence may contribute to premature hair greying.
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