Circulatory levels of antioxidants and lipid peroxidation in Indian patients with generalized and localized vitiligo.

Vitiligo is an acquired skin disease, characterized by white areas on the skin due to loss of functional melanocytes. The pathogenesis of the disease is still unclear. Published data show the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of vitiligo. A total of 30 vitiligo patients and 30 healthy controls were included in this study. We estimated serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamins E and C, total antioxidant activity and whole blood levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in vitiligo patients and controls. We found significantly higher levels of MDA and significantly lower levels of SOD, GPx, vitamins C and E and total antioxidant activity in vitiligo patients compared with controls. This study is a maiden attempt to report on antioxidant parameters of both generalized/localized-type Indian vitiligo patients. Our results confirmed that oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo and cause melanocyte damage in vitiligo.