Investigation of Dynamic Thiol-Disulfide Homeostasis in Alopecia Areata Patients

Background: Thiols are antioxidant, organic compounds containing sulfhydryl group on their active sites. They have important roles on preventing oxidative stress. The thiol disulfide homeostasis has a vital importance in organism. Thiol disulfide imbalance is an early indicator of oxidative stress. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune skin disorder characterized with scar-free hair loss. Its pathogenesis is still unclear. Thiol disulfide homeostasis in these patients has not been studied at all.

Objective: To evaluate the thiol disulfide homeostasis in alopecia areata patients and healthy controls.

Methods: Fortysix alopecia areata patients and 41 healty controls were included in the study. Native thiol, disulfide, total thiol levels were performed with a new and automatic spectrophotometric method. Rations of disulfide/total thiol, disulfide/ native thiol and native thiol/ total thiol were calculated as percentages.

Results: No statistically significance were detected between the values of native thiol, disulfide and total thiol in both two groups (p>0,05).

Conclusion: The dynamic thiol/ disulfide homeostasis is balance in patients with alopecia areata according to our findings. That is, the patients aren’t affected by oxidative stress. Furthermore we are suggesting that more studies with wider series should be performed.