Cross talk between oxidative stress and inflammation in alopecia areata

Background Although the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) is still unclear, inflammation, oxidative stress, and subsequent DNA damage might be considered role players in disease development. Aim We aimed at exploring the potential link between oxidative DNA damage and inflammation in AA patients through measuring 8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), and one of the inflammatory mediators, C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods A total of 79 subjects (49 AA patients in addition to 30 apparently healthy control subjects) were tested for serum levels of 8-OHdG, HMBG1, and CRP. Results Compared with the control group, serum 8-OHdG, HMBG1, and CRP levels were significantly elevated in the studied patients group (0.031, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively). Moreover, logistic regression analysis revealed that disease course, serum levels of 8-OHdG, and HMBG1 were considered independent predictors for AA severity in both uni- and multivariable analyses. Conclusion Our results suggest a possible role of oxidative stress together with proinflammatory biomarkers in development of AA and their benefit in predicting a severe form of the disease.

Automated summary

This study suggests a potential role of oxidative stress and proinflammatory biomarkers in the development of alopecia areata, as well as their ability to predict the severity of the disease. Serum levels of 8-OHdG, HMGB1, and CRP were found to be significantly elevated in AA patients compared to healthy controls, and were identified as independent predictors for disease severity.