Toenail concentrations of zinc, selenium and nickel in patients with chronic recurrent warts: A pilot two-group comparative study.

What Was Tested

This observational study looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

To assess long-term abnormalities in zinc, selenium and nickel levels in patients with chronic recurrent warts.

Why It Was Studied

Normal immune functioning requires sufficient levels of trace elements including zinc and selenium, while elements such as nickel can be immunotoxic.

A small sample size and the absence of regional reference ranges for concentrations of trace elements in toenails.

Who Took Part

The study group was 28 patients.

The age groups tagged for this paper are teenagers, young adults, adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Toenail samples were taken from 28 patients with chronic recurrent warts and 30 apparently healthy matching controls were analysed.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as pilot.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study would be practical.

Toenail concentrations of zinc, selenium and nickel were measured using inductively-coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy.

What Was Measured

Normal immune functioning requires sufficient levels of trace elements including zinc and selenium, while elements such as nickel can be immunotoxic.

The subject headings attached to it are Chronic Disease, Nails, Nickel, Pilot Projects, Recurrence, Selenium and Trace Elements.

Author keywords: recurrent warts and zinc.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a pilot study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 28 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Results are reported in around 5 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2019 (Indian journal of dermatology, venereology and leprology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.