| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2017 | Volume
: 10
| Issue : 2 | Page : 190-195 |
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Correlation of serum ferritin levels, in female patients with chronic diffuse hair loss: A cross sectional study
Sridevi Ramachandra Raichur1, AM Pandit1, Anil Malleshappa2
1 Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE'S Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and MRC, KLE University, Belgaum, Karnataka, India
2 Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE'S Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and MRC, KLE University, Belgaum, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
Sridevi Ramachandra Raichur
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE'S Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and MRC, KLE University, Nehru Nagar, Belagavi - 590 010, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/kleuhsj.ijhs_312_16
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Context: Iron is involved in critical physiological processes within the hair follicle, suggesting that iron deficiency (ID) could disrupt hair synthesis. The relationship between body iron status and hair loss has been investigated in a number of studies, however, with relatively discrepant findings.
Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) and female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in patients were associated with decreased tissue iron stores, as measured by serum ferritin levels.
Setting and Design: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted in a teaching hospital.
Materials and Methods: Forty female patients aged between 15 and 45 years, having chronic diffuse hair loss, were recruited.
Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis used in this study was Mean ± standard deviation, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and one-sample t-test.
Results: The mean serum ferritin levels in all participants, CTE, and FPHL were 18.6 μg/L, 16 μg/L, and 36.64 μg/L, respectively. Almost 57.5% of participants had serum ferritin levels <12 μg/L indicating ID, and 15% of participants had serum ferritin levels ranging 13–20 μg/L indicating iron depletion. Twenty-five percent of participants had serum ferritin levels ranging from 21 to 70 μg/L, indicating that serum ferritin levels were lower than required for normal hair cycle. Since there is a wide range of serum ferritin level (6–160 μg/L), a cutoff level of 41 μg/L was used to observe ID. There was a significant difference between the mean serum ferritin levels of participants as compared to the cutoff level of serum ferritin. Mean serum ferritin levels of all participants and in participants with CTE were low. Many participants had serum ferritin levels less than the normal lower range. The participants showed ID, at cutoff level of serum ferritin (41 μg/L), which was significant.
Conclusion: Participants of this study had low serum ferritin levels at different definitions of ID, and the participants showed ID, which was significant. Hence, chronic diffuse hair loss was associated with decreased iron stores. |
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