Abstract
Alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are both common skin diseases of autoimmune origin. Both alopecia areata and vitiligo have shown to be affected by oxidative stress. The present work is aimed at evaluating and comparing the serum proinflammatory cytokine levels in AA and nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV). A cross-sectional study was conducted of 33 patients with AA, 30 patients with NSV, and 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and IL-6 were determined quantitatively by ELISA method. Our analysis identified a signature of oxidative stress associated with AA and NSV, characterized by elevated levels of IFN-γ (AA: p = 0.007283; NSV: p = 0.038467), IL-1β (AA; NSV: p ≤ 0.001), and IL-6 (AA; NSV: p ≤ 0.001). IL-6 was also significantly increased in NSV patients in comparison with AA patients (p = 0.004485). Our results supported the hypothesis that oxidative stress may play a significant role in promoting and amplifying the inflammatory process both in AA and vitiligo. The complex understanding of both disease etiopathogenesis involves interrelationships between oxidative stress and autoimmunity. The clinical study registration number is RNN/266/16/KE.
Highlights
Alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are both autoimmune diseases, and striking similarities in pathogenesis have been identified at the level of both the innate and adaptive immune systems
Due to limited knowledge regarding the role of systemic cytokine profiles associated with oxidative stress in AA and vitiligo, we aimed to determine and compare the serum levels of interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and IL-6 in AA and nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV) patients
We showed that the levels of IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6 were higher in sera of AA and NSV patients compared to healthy controls
Summary
Alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are both autoimmune diseases, and striking similarities in pathogenesis have been identified at the level of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Increased reactive oxygen species and high cellular stress levels have been suggested as the initiating trigger of the innate immune system in both diseases, and genomewide association studies have implicated risk alleles that influence both innate and adaptive immunity [1,2,3]. Both conditions are known to carry a considerable impact on health-related quality of life [4, 5]. AA is a nonscarring hair loss with an unpredictable course and a wide spectrum of manifestations. Ophiasis is a form of AA characterized by the loss of hair in the shape of a wave at the circumference of the head [7]
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