Comparative study on some oxidative stress parameters in blood of vitiligo patients before and after combined therapy

Currently accepted that oxidative stress is a triggering event in the melanocytic destruction and is probably involved in the etiopathogenesis of vitiligo disease. Despite numerous investigations, contradictory results were reported about the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers measured in the skin and blood of vitiligo patients. By Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and spectrophotometry, we have investigated and compared some oxidative stress biomarkers in the blood of vitiligo patients' before and after UVB Narrow Band 311 nm phototherapy combined with the antioxidant nutritional supplement containing - Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, L -Cysteine, Lipoic Acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Before therapy was found significantly higher levels of CAT activity and MDA compared to the patients after therapy and control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, levels of Asc* radicals in patients before therapy were significantly lower than those measured in controls and patients undergoing therapy (p < 0.05). Our finding, the combined therapy applied to vitiligo patients provoked an increase in the Asc* levels and a decrease in MDA products and also initial repigmentation in the vitiligo spots, made us believe that a combined antioxidant therapy, enriched with vitamin C could lead to improvement of the oxidant-antioxidant balance in vitiligo patients treated with UVB 311 phototherapy.