Some Aspects of Regulatory Criteria For Metal-ligand Homeostasis in Epidermal Cells - Some Aspects of Regulatory Criteria For Metal-ligand Homeostasis in Epidermal Cells - Open Access Pub

The work is dedicated to the problem of the norm in the quantitative evaluation of metal content in the epidermal cells (hair) obtained by the method of spectrometry. Authors have analyzed the hair samples for Zn, Cu, and Fe content, which were obtained from 10000 healthy subjects (5000 males and 5000 females aged 20 to 45). The definition of the norm, in the authors’ opinion, is closely related to the basic positions of the theory of self-organized criticality (SC). The observed shifts in the homeostasis of essential metals are local and therefore cannot serve as a criterion of sufficient (or insufficient) metal content throughout the body. DOI10.14302/issn.2471-2140.jaa-17-1927 Despite the huge number of publications dedicated to the diagnosis of metal-ligand homeostasis (MLH) disorders, reliable detection of latent forms of these disorders remains an unresolved task for most essential metals. The only exception is iron (Fe), whose hidden deficit can be diagnosed by the level of serum ferritin and by well-known pathognomonic clinical signs. The lack of other essential metals, in particular, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in hidden (latent) form, does not have reliable clinical symptoms and reliable serum or any other markers. Although high-precision diagnostic equipment (atomic emission spectrometry, mass spectrometry) and a non-invasive method for obtaining biosubstrate (hair) were introduced into research practice, a rapid solution to the diagnostic problem has not yet been achieved. The main question has remained unanswered: What do the numerical parameters of metal spectrometry mean in a certain substrate (especially, in hair) and how do they relate to the whole body levels of essential metals (Ca, Na, K, Fe, Zn, Cu, etc.)? The greatest difficulty lies in revealing the latent lack of essential metals when clinical signs are meager or totally absent, while the diagnosis of extreme forms of deficit (or oversupply) of metals usually does not cause problems. Speaking of epidermis (hair), one cannot regard it as a proven fact that metal content in epidermis enables the diagnosis of a latent form of metal deficiency. Besides, understanding is needed of spectrometric parameters as such and of how they help resolve the main task: the identification of latent deficiency of essential metals. Conspicuous is the fact that there was a considerable individual variation in metal concentrations when hair was used as the substrate: the coefficient of variation (CV), according to our data, ranged from 34% to 226.5% 1. Moreover, when verifying the hypothesis of normal