Selenium Level in Patients with Vitiligo: A Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Nutritional Science
• Autoimmune Diseases

Background:

• Selenium deficiency is linked to autoimmune conditions.
• Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder affecting skin pigmentation.
• Investigating the association between selenium levels and vitiligo is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between serum selenium levels and vitiligo.
• To determine if selenium levels differ between vitiligo patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was conducted using data from multiple databases up to February 2019.
• Included 8 studies with 305 vitiligo patients and 6156 healthy controls.
• Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was the primary outcome measure.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in overall serum selenium levels was found between vitiligo patients and controls (SMD = 0.481, P > 0.05).
• Subgroup analysis revealed significantly decreased selenium levels in Asian vitiligo patients (SMD = -0.303, P < 0.05).
• No significant difference was observed in Caucasian vitiligo patients (SMD = 0.957, P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Overall selenium levels are comparable between vitiligo patients and healthy individuals.
• Asian vitiligo patients exhibit lower selenium levels compared to controls.
• This suggests potential benefits of tailored selenium supplementation for Asian vitiligo patients.