{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T07:21:33Z","timestamp":1768288893068,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738108800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Durban University of Technology, University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Melasma is a chronic skin disorder characterized by hyperpigmentation, predominantly affecting women with darker skin types, including those of African descent. This study investigates the association between genetic variants in SLC45A2, TYR, HERC2, and SLC24A5 genes and the severity of melasma in women of reproductive age. Forty participants were divided into two groups: twenty with facial melasma and twenty without. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from blood samples and genotyped using TaqMan assays to identify allele frequencies and genotype distributions. Significant associations were observed for the TYR gene (rs1042602), HERC2 gene (rs1129038), and SLC24A5 gene (rs1426654) polymorphisms, highlighting their potential roles in melasma susceptibility. For example, the rs1042602 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) in the TYR gene showed a strong association with melasma, with the AA genotype conferring a markedly increased risk. Similarly, the rs1129038 SNP in the HERC2 gene and the rs1426654 SNP in the SLC24A5 gene revealed significant genetic variations between groups in women of African descent. These findings underscore the influence of genetic polymorphisms on melasma\u2019s pathogenesis, emphasizing the need for personalized approaches to its treatment, particularly for women with darker skin types.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26031158","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T04:36:18Z","timestamp":1738125378000},"page":"1158","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in SLC45A2, TYR, HERC2, and SLC24A in African Women with Melasma: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Nomakhosi","family":"Mpofana","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Department, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Somatology, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zinhle Pretty","family":"Mlambo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Discipline of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mokgadi Ursula","family":"Makgobole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Department, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ncoza Cordelia","family":"Dlova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dermatology Department, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6917-2191","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thajasvarie","family":"Naicker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Discipline of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D\u2019Elia, M.P.B., Brand\u00e3o, M.C., de Andrade Ramos, B.R., da Silva, M.G., Miot, L.D.B., Dos Santos, S.E.B., and Miot, H.A. (2017). African ancestry is associated with facial melasma in women: A cross-sectional study. BMC Med. 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