title: Low glutathione peroxidase activity levels in patients with vitiligo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitiligo is an idiopathic skin disease characterized by white areas on the skin due to loss of the functional melanocytes, with possible involvement of oxidative stress. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is an antioxidant enzyme that protects cells against oxidative damage.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine serum GPx levels in patients with vitiligo and to relate the findings to the clinical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group included 60 patients with vitiligo and 30 matching healthy controls. GPx activity was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant decrease in serum GPx activity level in the patients with vitiligo compared to the healthy controls (0.29 ± 0.14 versus 0.47 ± 0.13, p < .001). The levels were significantly low in skin phenotypes III and IV (p < .001). Higher levels were also observed with increasing age (≥ 14 years), prolonged disease duration (≥ 3 years), and generalized and extensive vitiligo (< 50%). However, these variations were statistically insignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low levels of serum GPx activity, indicative of a disturbed oxidant-antioxidant system, may contribute to the development of vitiligo.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Venereology and Andrology, Clinical Pathology, and Pathology, Faculties of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zedan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Venereology and Andrology, Clinical Pathology, and Pathology, Faculties of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amira Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdel-Motaleb
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Venereology and Andrology, Clinical Pathology, and Pathology, Faculties of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nahed Mahmoud Ali
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kassem
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Venereology and Andrology, Clinical Pathology, and Pathology, Faculties of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba Ahmed Abdel
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hafeez
authors.affiliation: Departments of Dermatology and Venereology and Andrology, Clinical Pathology, and Pathology, Faculties of Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt frcpath17@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mahmoud Rezk Abdelwhahed
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hussein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000201:enzymology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase