Metals in Scalp Hair from Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients (RRMS)

We measured the concentrations of 21 chemical elements (TE) in hair of 48 Sicilian patients with RRMS compared with 51 controls (HC). MS patients showed a significantly (p<0.01) lower hair concentration of Al and Rb and higher hair concentration of U compared to HC. The percentage of MS patients showing hair elemental concentrations greater than the 95th percentile of controls was 20% for Ni, 19% for Ba and U, and 15% for Ag, Mo and Se. The ratio Zn/Cu varied from 17 to 19, with no significant differences between HC and MS groups or between individuals differentiated by gender. No significant association was found between levels of each TE and age, disease duration, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, dietary habits and smoking. Gender was shown to influence the levels of Ag, Cr, Fe, Ni, Sr in MS female patients. The major inter-element correlations were observed for Ba-Se and Fe-Ni in both groups. The increase in U and decrease in Al and Rb levels in RRMS compared to controls require further assessments as well as the different distributions of other elements.