The Surprising Connection Between Melanin and Hearing

Did you know that white cats are a lot more likely to be deaf? Did you know the odds of the cat being deaf were dramatically exacerbated by having either one or two blue eyes? It’s true: 20% of green-eyed white cats are deaf, 40% of white cats with one blue eye are deaf, and about 75% of blue-eyed white cats are deaf. It doesn’t stop there, as white dogs are also likelier to be deaf, as are white ferrets. Albino animals, too, seem to be disproportionately deaf.

But what does hair or eye color have to do with hearing loss? And can such a connection between hair, skin and eye color be drawn in humans, as well? Looking at medical literature, it certainly seems so.

One particularly well-known congenital disorder that some scientists believe may explain hearing loss in animals is called Waardenburg syndrome, and it affects humans as well. People born with Waardenburg tend to have brilliant blue, wide-set eyes, pale blotches on the skin that may appear like vitiligo, and varying degrees of deafness.

Patient with Waardenburg syndrome, displaying broad nose bridge and wide-set eyes

To assume that Waardenburg is the cause for congenital propensity to deafness would mean that all of the aforementioned animals also have this syndrome and that this syndrome explains everything there is to know about the relationship between color and deafness. But this theory doesn’t quite hold up when put to the test.

Several epidemiological studies into the association of paler skin and hearing loss have come up with some shocking results: black people are roughly 50% less likely to develop hearing loss when compared to white counterparts. Studies specifically targeting whites and blacks whose occupation incorporated increased hazard of hearing loss found much the same thing: whites were more susceptible to hearing loss. Well, considering Waardenburg syndrome affects a mere fraction of society and people of various races, it can’t very well explain this disparity, can it?

But it doesn’t end here. Remember how paler eyes predicted higher chances of deafness among white cats? A 2001 study looking at 130 deaf patients found that the same was true of humans. Of the entire study population, 32 patients had acquired deafness as a result of meningitis and the rest had become deaf due to various other reasons. Among the general deaf population, 73% had pale eyes, compared to 27% with dark eyes, while among the meningitis group, the results were even more dramatic, as 94% of the deaf patients had pale eyes, compared to only 6% with dark eyes.

How about hair color? Does that also figure into risks of hearing loss? According to a 2012 study of military personnel who were exposed to sounds of gunfire, soldiers with blond or light brown hair were significantly more vulnerable to hearing loss compared to fellow combatants with dark hair.

The common thread between paler skin tone, lighter hair color, and green and blue irises is melanin, or more accurately, the lack of it. Melanin is the pigment that is responsible for the color of our skin, our hair, and our eyes, and it is produced in specialized cells called melanocytes. Typically speaking, melanocytes are dispersed equally throughout the body, but some unique conditions (such as Waardenburg) may cause particular areas of the skin or the eyes to have an abnormally low level of melanocytes, causing a striking difference between that area and the rest of the body (nonwhites with blue eyes, for example). But what does all of this have to do with deafness?

Well, we don’t rightly know. We know that all of the color variations presented here are also associated with lack of melanocytes in the inner ear, and can thus surmise that the melanocytes within the ear have an important role in hearing, but we do not know what it is. In the meanwhile, until we manage to figure out the exact mechanism that connects paler complexion to hearing loss, knowing whether you (or ones you hold dear) are in the risk group or not may be able to aid you in avoiding situations that may put your hearing in danger.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
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This primrose plant compound could combat eye cancer

A compound extracted from the Christmas berry primrose plant could be effective in slowing down the spread of eye cancer, suggests a study.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is a cancer (melanoma) of the eye involving the iris, ciliary body, or choroid (collectively referred to as the uvea).

The compound, dubbed FR900359 or FR, effectively blocked the growth of the uveal melanoma cells and it can one day be developed as an effective drug to treat the disease, the researchers said. 

It works by blocking a particular type of G protein that sits on a cell's membrane, called Gq, said researchers.

The team grew three different types of UM cells that have the cancer-spurring mutations in the lab and then treated the cells with FR.

The findings, showed that FR appeared to help reset the cells back to their normal state, he said. Higher doses of FR killed the cells.

"I'm very optimistic. If the results are confirmed in animal models and eventually humans, it could offer a new way to treat metastatic uveal melanoma patients down the road," said a Professor.

UM is the most common eye cancer in adults which most often travels to the liver. The cancer forms in melanocytes, the cells that make pigment.

Surgery or radiation is the go-to treatment for patients with primary UM that has not spread to other parts of the body. 

But metastases occur in about half of cases. The cancer most often travels to the liver. Once the cancer has spread, patients often only have a year or so to live as no effective therapies yet exist.

However, FR very effectively blocked the growth of the uveal melanoma cells, the research showed.

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Vitiligo- signs and treatments

If you see continual and long-term white patches of de-pigmentation on your skin, it could be vitiligo. Vitiligo is a condition that appears when melanocytes in your skin are no more alive. This bunch of cells is responsible for producing the melanin pigment that endows the skin with its colour as well as protects it from the harmful UV rays. The area which may be affected by this dermatological disease varies from person to person, and it can also affect the hair, mouth and eyes as well. In most cases, the vitiligo affected area stays discoloured for the rest of the patient’s life.
Various types of vitiligo and their symptoms
Scientists have classified vitiligo into two types: segmental and non-segmental. The non-segmental vitiligo is the most common variant and 90 percent of vitiligo affected patients suffer from this kind of disorder. In this disease, the patches take place with little symmetry on both sides of the body. It can be further broken down into 5 sub-divisions.

1. Generalised vitiligo: It can occur at any part of the body without any rules, and this is by far the most common type.
2. Acrofacial vitiligo: It is mostly seen on the toes and fingers.
3. Mucosal vitiligo: In this condition, the discolouration normally takes place around the lips and mucous membranes.
4. Universal vitiligo: This is the rarest type of vitiligo where the whole body is covered in white patches.
5. Focal vitiligo: This is most commonly found in children. The children have white and scattered patches across the body.

Possible treatments for vitiligo
Though there are no treatments possible that will re-pigment your skin to its original colour, there are several remedies that aid in decreasing the visibility of white patches on the affected areas of the skin. Some of them include:

1. Phototherapy with UVB radiation: This is a common form of treatment where the affected area is exposed to UVB radiation and can be performed at home too. If you have large white spots across the body, it is important to have the treatment performed by an expert at any healthcare centre.
2. Phototherapy with UVA radiation: In this treatment, a drug is first administered for increasing skin’s sensitivity to this radiation. Then the affected area of the skin is exposed to high doses of UVA radiation.
3. Skin camouflage: In mild cases of vitiligo, cosmetic creams and make-up can be used to camouflage the affected area. It can last for about 12- 18 hours when applied in proper techniques.

Take the opinion of an expert for the best possible treatment for your type of problem.

 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.  
 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
  htps://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes  
 https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
 

Tanning gene linked to high testicular cancer risk

A gene that is important in skin tanning has been linked to increased risk for testicular cancer in white men, according to a study.

Scientists found that almost 80 percent of white men carry a variant form of this gene, which increased risk of testicular cancer up to threefold in the study.

The team suspected that variations in a gene pathway controlled by the tumour suppressor gene p53 could have both positive and negative effects on human health.

The author on the paper and researcher , said that gene variations occur naturally, and may become common in a population if they convey a health benefit.

He asserted that it appears that this particular variant could help protect light-skinned individuals from UV skin damage, like burning or cancer, by promoting the tanning process, but it permits testicular stem cells to grow in the presence of DNA damage, when they are supposed to stop growing.

He explained that p53 stimulates skin tanning when ultraviolet light activates it in the skin. It then must bind a specific sequence of DNA located in a gene called the KIT ligand oncogene (KITLG), which stimulates melanocyte production, causing the skin to tan.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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