ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN THE BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE VITILIGO

We have previously reported that patients with active vitiligo (AVP) h ave elevated urinary levels of catecholamine metabolites, such as homo vanillic and vanilmandelic acids, irrespective of the form of the dise ase (acrofacial, segmental, generalized). We have suggested that abnor mal release of catecholamines from autonomic nerve endings might play an etiological role in the onset and development of vitiligo through a n overproduction of toxic (oxy)radicals in the microenvironment of mel anocytes in the affected areas. In the present study we have investiga ted whether this suggested increase in radicals might be associated wi th an oxidative stress in the blood of AVP. We have analyzed by gas-ch romatography mass-spectrometry, by high pressure liquid chromatography , by spectophotometry plasma levels of vitamin E (Vit E), lipoperoxide s (LIP), and polyunsaturated fatty acids of phospholipids (PL-FA), ery throcyte reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), a nd superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in 62 patients affected with different forms of active vitiligo (acrofacial, segmental, generalized ) and in 60 age-matched controls. Our results show that blood levels o f Vit E, SOD, GSH, GSH-Px activity, LIP and PL-FA in AVP were not sign ificantly different from those of healthy age matched controls, indica ting that melanocyte damage in vitiligo is not linked with a generaliz ed oxidative stress.