ABSTRACT.
The elemental status of a person reflects the combined impact of ecological-geographical, nutritional, and metabolic factors. The regions of the Far North are characterized by extreme conditions that place increased demands on the body’s antioxidant and metabolic systems, making the study of regional imbalances in macro- and microelements a priority task.
Objective.
A comparative analysis of elemental status and the structure of interelement correlations in young men-natives of three territories: Magadan (Far North), Murmansk (Arctic zone), and Ulyanovsk (central European part of Russia).
Materials and Methods.
The content of 20 chemical elements in hair was determined by atomic emission spectrometry. A frequency analysis of deficiencies and excesses was performed, the integral coefficient of adaptability of the elemental system was calculated, and correlation pleiades were constructed.
Results.
It was found that the total elemental deficiency increases from Ulyanovsk (7 elements) to Murmansk (11) and Magadan (16). A similar trend was observed for excess (10→10→16). The adaptability coefficient is highest in Ulyanovsk (45.3 arbitrary units) and lowest in Magadan (2.2 arbitrary units), indicating the strain on regulatory mechanisms in the North. The correlation pleiades differ in configuration: in Ulyanovsk, silicon is at the center (the "stability core"), whereas in the northern regions, the correlations form a rhombus involving vanadium and sodium. Specific complexes were identified: Ca–Mg, Al–Fe, Cr–Si–P. In the case of combined iodine and zinc deficiency, no direct correlation between them is observed, which is explained by their different metabolic pathways.
Conclusion.
Regional differences in elemental status are systemic in nature. The increase in imbalance from Ulyanovsk to Murmansk and Magadan is accompanied by a restructuring of the correlation structure and a decrease in adaptability. The identified differentiating elements (silicon, vanadium, sodium) represent promising targets for regional preventive programs.
KEYWORDS: chemical elements, hair, Far North, Arctic, central region of Russia, deficiency, excess, correlation analysis, interelement relationships, adaptation.
For citation: Lugovaya E.A., Ageenko K.I. Elemental status and architecture of interelement bonds in residents of Russian regions with different climate-geographic tension. Trace elemets in medicine. 2026;27(2):38-49. DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2026-27-2-38-49
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Information about the authors:
Elena A. Lugovaya – Ph.D. (Biol.), Assistant Professor, Director of the “Arctic” Research Center
E-mail: elena_plant@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6583-4175; SPIN: 5825-7122
Kirill I. Ageenko – Ph.D. (Biol.), Researcher, Head of the Lab. of Bioelementology and Functional Morphology
E-mail: krl.ag@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8297-931X; SPIN: 1647-5767
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no obvious and potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.