Association of oxidative stress in mild patchy alopecia areata: a case- control study

Abstract Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic immune-mediated disease characterized by sudden-onset, sharply circumscribed alopecic patches that can occur in any part of the body, mostly on the scalp. Its etiology has not yet been fully clarified. Recently, increasing data regarding the relationship between oxidative stress and AA are available in the literature. Objectives To evaluate the effect of oxidative stress with ischemia-associated albumin (IMA) and conventional methods together with total oxidant state (TOS), total antioxidant state (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in patients with new-onset mild AA. Methods The study was conducted as a single-center, prospective, case-control study and included 36 patients with AA and 34 healthy volunteers. Serum TAS, TOS, OSI and IMA levels were compared between the two groups. Results The TOS and OSI levels were found to be significantly higher and the TAS level was significantly lower in the AA group. Although the IMA level was higher in the AA group, it did not significantly differ from the control group. Conclusions This study supports the presence of a relationship between oxidative stress and AA. Antioxidant defense mechanisms may be delayed to compensate for the high oxidant levels in mild acute AA. Oxidative damage can also be caused by non-ischemic pathways, and IMA levels may become more pronounced in more chronic and severe cases. We consider that there is a need to investigate individual oxidative causes in larger and different subgroup populations of AA and re-evaluate related markers after antioxidant treatment.