title: Oxidative stress status in patients with melasma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melasma is an acquired skin disease characterized clinically by development of gray-brown macules or patches. The lesions have geographic borders and most often seen on face and less frequently on the neck and forearms. Pathogenesis has not been completely understood yet. Although the disease constitutes a very disturbing cosmetic problem, it has not obtained an efficient treatment. There were not any studies in the literature that evaluates the role of oxidative stress in melasma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The evaluation of the role of oxidative stress in melasma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty melasma patients and 50 healthy volunteers were included in the study. The diagnosis was made clinically and the patients were evaluated by Melasma Area Severity Index. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities and malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl levels were measured both in the melasma group and the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SOD and GSH-Px enzyme activities were significantly higher in the patient group in comparison with the control group (p < 0.001). Protein carbonyl levels were significantly lower in the patient group (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that the balance between oxidant and anti-oxidants was disrupted and the oxidative stress increased in melasma. These results improve the understanding of etiology-pathogenesis of the disease and its treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and.
authors.forename: Havva Yıldız
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Seçkin
authors.forename: Göknur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kalkan
authors.forename: Yalçın
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baş
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbaş
authors.forename: Yalçın
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Önder
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Özyurt
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008548:Melanosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D050050:Protein Carbonylation; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Anti-oxidant enzymes; melasma; oxidative stress