Turkderm Turkish Archives of Dermatology and Venereology (Sep 2022)

Serum vitamin B12, ferritin, and vitamin D levels in patients with seborrheic dermatitis: A case-control study

  • Semih Güder,
  • Hüsna Güder

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4274/turkderm.galenos.2022.30776
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 56, no. 3
pp. 113 – 117

Abstract

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Background and Design: No evidence suggests that any micronutrients are associated with seborrheic dermatitis (SD). The etiopathogenesis of SD is attributed to excessive proliferation of Malassezia species in the skin, deterioration in epidermal barrier functions, and inflammation. Vitamin B12 affects the immune system. Moreover, the ferritin molecule can act as a proinflammatory cytokine and has immunomodulating effects. Vitamin D has immunomodulatory effects and affects the epidermal barrier. Therefore, we thought that low serum levels of these parameters might affect immune responses against Malassezia species that caused SD. The study aimed to compare the serum vitamin B12, ferritin, and vitamin D levels of patients with SD with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Patients aged 18-50 years who applied to the dermatology outpatient clinic and were found to have SD during dermatological examination were retrospectively reviewed. Serum vitamin B12, ferritin, and vitamin D levels of 63 patients with SD and 37 healthy controls were compared. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square analysis. Student's t-test was used to compare constant variables, and Pearson's correlation test was applied for the correlation analysis. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: No significant difference was found in the serum vitamin B12, ferritin, and vitamin D levels between the patient and control groups (p=0.227, p=0.381, p=0.611, respectively). In addition, no significant difference was found between the patient and control groups in terms of serum vitamin B12, ferritin, and vitamin D levels, which were categorized as deficient, insufficient, and adequate (p=0.31, p=0.53, and p=0.80, respectively). Conclusion: Routine measurements of these values are not necessary, but since detected subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency was detected in the patient group, this should be investigated in prospective controlled studies with a large number of patients.

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