How a long white line on your finger nail could mean you're at a much higher ... trends now
Faint lines on your fingernail could indicate a rare genetic condition that puts you at risk of kidney, skin, and eye cancers, new research suggests.
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered that 88 percent of people with a rare genetic disorder that can lead to cancer have abnormal nail markings, including a thin white line running the length of the nail.
The genetic disorder, which is believed to run in fewer than 100 American families, increases the odds of a rare type of eye cancer, as well as lung, skin and kidney cancer.
Called BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, it affects a gene that prevents the body's cells from growing at a rapid rate, and developing into tumorous masses.
The majority of people in the study with abnormal nail markings such as the thin line running the length of the nail were found to have a benign tumor
Of the total number of people found to a syndrome that predisposes them to cancer, 88 percent had tumors in their nail beds
The gene also plays a crucial role in repairing DNA damage to cells, which protects against the growth and spread of cancer cells.
The researchers happened across the finding in a study looking at the gene, called BAP1, for mutations: 41 of 47 people had an abnormal line on a nail, and further probing found that 39 of them had a benign tumor.
Of the total number of people in the study with confirmed tumor predisposition syndrome, 87.2 percent had tumors in their nail beds.
Alexandra Lebensohn, a National Cancer Institute researcher who helped conduct the study, said: ‘When asked about nail health during a baseline genetic assessment, a very astute patient reported that he had noticed subtle changes in his nail.
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