Detection of Enhanced Lipid Peroxide Levels in Patients with Inflammatory Skin Diseases

Abstract

Lipid peroxide levels in various parts of normal skin, both exposed and unexposed, and the skin lesions of twenty-eight patients with various inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases were assessed by our modified TBA method. A linear correlation between the concentration of skin homogenate and lipid peroxide level was obtained for normal skin. Exposed normal skin showed a higher lipid peroxide level than unexposed skin. Lipid peroxide levels in the skin lesions from patients with inflammatory skin diseases such as acute eczema, hair dye contact dermatitis, radiation-dermatitis, and traumatic open wound in active stages were markedly greater than those in the corresponding areas of the normal controls. However, inflammatory skin lesions such as pruritus and vitiligo did not show any significant change. The present study suggests that, since skin is always in contact with oxygen and usually exposed to ultraviolet light, not only in thermally-generated lesions but also in skin inflammatory sites in their active stages, membrane damage is readily induced, leading to increased levels of lipid peroxides.