Abstract

Background: vitiligo is a coetaneous autoimmune disease, cosmetically non-acceptable to patients with higher Fitzpatrick skin type because of the contrast between lesional and non-lesional skin. Oxidative stress through H2O2 that is converted by superoxide dismutase (SOD) into H2O and super oxide anion (O.-) which affects directly on preopiomelanocortin (POMC) system in the epidermis of vitiligo patients which plays the key role in melanogenesis. Aim of the work: this study aimed to measure H2O2 in segmental vs. non-segmental vitiligo. This was done through colorimetric evaluation of H2O2 in the epidermis of patients with vitiligo and it was focused on the role of the oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Patients and methods: this pilot study was included 30 patients recruited from the outpatient clinic of Dermatology and Venereology at Ain Shams University Hospital and outpatient clinic of Al Haud Al Marsoud Hospital. They were all suffered from vitiligo. Fifteen of them had non-segmental and the other 15 had segmental vitiligo. Each group was subdivided into active and stationary. The active disease was defined as appearance of a new lesion and/or extension of preexisting lesions in less than one year. Results: there was a significant increase of H2O2 level in the lesional vs. non-lesional skin in all number of patients, NSV patients, NSs patients, NSa, and SVs, but not in SVa patients. The H2O2 raised in NSV patients when compared to SV patients. There was a non-significant rise of H2O2; also in patients with SVa. There was a significant increase in the epidermal H2O2 level in the NSV patients above that of SV patients. Conclusion: this study suggested that oxidative stress was present in both SV and NSV. This might open a window for several studies concerning the patients of SV and whether the oxidative stress is primary or secondary. Also whether these patients might benefit from antioxidant medications or not.

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