Abstract

Objective: It is known that oxidative stress could be an important factor in the pathogenesis of vitiligo disease. We aimed to investigate the possible relationship between vitiligo pathogenesis and the change of antioxidant capacity of skin and plasma in patients with vitiligo.

Material and Methods: In this study we have examined normal and vitiliginous skin and plasma GPx, SOD and CAT activities by spectrophotometric methods in 40 vitiligo patients and 15 controls.

Results: Results of tissue enzyme activities (as U/mg prt and Mean±SD); were 0.64±0.09; 0.89±0.15; 0.41±0.57 for SOD enzyme, 170.98±12.35; 182.13±13.48; 121.91+16.03 for GPx enzyme and 78.92±10.34; 94.99±10+47; 55.95±7.24 for CAT enzyme in involved skin, uninvolved skin and control groups respectively. Plasma levels of these enzymes were 37.19±1.53; 39.53±3.32 SOD enzyme, 381.57±12.67; 346.13±21.90 for GPx and 66.72±8.86; 61.24±6.32 for CAT enzyme in vitiligo and control groups respectively.

Conclusion: There is no correlation between skin and plasma antioxidant enzyme activities in vitiligo patients, or in healthy controls. High glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities in vitiligous skin (p<0.05) especially might be a result of anti oxidative stress response against oxidative stress via peroxides.