Role of Lactoferrin in Chronic Telogen Effluvium
March 2020
in “
QJM: An International Journal of Medicine
”
TLDR Lactoferrin levels are lower in people with chronic hair shedding, suggesting supplements could help treat it.
The study titled "Role of Lactoferrin in Chronic Telogen Effluvium" included 48 patients with chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) and 40 control subjects, both groups being age and sex-matched. The patients, aged between 19-37 years (mean 23.4 ± 5.4), were predominantly female (87.5%). The study aimed to assess the correlation between serum iron, ferritin, and lactoferrin levels in CTE patients with varying severities, to support the potential role of iron and lactoferrin supplementation in the treatment of CTE. The results showed that serum ferritin and lactoferrin levels were significantly lower in CTE patients compared to the control group, while no significant difference was found in hemoglobin and serum iron levels. This suggests that lactoferrin could play a role in the pathology of CTE and that supplementation might be beneficial in its treatment.