title: Investigation of oxidative stress in patients with alopecia areata and its relationship with disease severity, duration, recurrence and pattern.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alopecia areata (AA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes hair loss on the scalp or trunk without scarring. Although the precise aetiopathogenesis of alopecia areata remains unknown, oxidative stress is thought to play a role.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between severity and the role of oxidative stress in AA, by measuring plasma oxidant levels and antioxidant enzyme activities in erythrocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 62 patients with AA (24 males and 38 females), and 62 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the study. We investigated the levels of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of erythrocyte catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). The relationship between oxidative stress and AA was also investigated with regard to disease pattern, severity, duration and recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean erythrocyte GSH-Px and SOD activities were significantly reduced (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001 respectively) compared with the control group. Plasma MDA levels were increased but statistically insignificant (P = 0.08) in patients with AA compared with controls. No significant difference between erythrocyte CAT activities was observed between patients and controls (P = 0.2). In addition, we observed no statistically significant difference in patient plasma MDA levels or erythrocyte CAT, GSH-Px or SOD activities with regard to AA severity, duration, recurrence or pattern (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with AA displayed reduced erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px activities and enhanced plasma MDA levels. These findings support the possible role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of AA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Yenin
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serarslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yönden
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Ulutaş
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000378:metabolism*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase