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Role of Serum Melatonin and Oxidative Stress in Childhood Atopic Dermatitis: A Prospective Study
Shanthy Devadasan1, Rashmi Sarkar1, Krishna Deb Barman1
1Department of Dermatology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
Insights
Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) show increased oxidative stress markers, including higher serum malondialdehyde and melatonin levels. However, this study found no link between these oxidative stress indicators and AD severity in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Biochemistry
- Oxidative Stress Research
Background:
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) pathogenesis involves multiple factors.
- Oxidative damage is a recently postulated contributor to AD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate oxidant and antioxidant levels, including melatonin, in children with AD.
- To determine the association between these markers and AD severity.
Main Methods:
- Study included 30 children with AD (6 months-12 years) and 30 matched controls.
- Measured blood superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, serum malondialdehyde, and serum melatonin.
- Assessed AD severity using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index.
Main Results:
- Serum malondialdehyde and melatonin levels were significantly elevated in children with AD compared to controls.
- Blood superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels were higher in AD cases, but not significantly.
- No significant correlation was observed between measured markers and AD severity.
Conclusions:
- Children with AD exhibit increased oxidative stress compared to controls.
- Oxidative stress markers were not correlated with the severity of atopic dermatitis in this cohort.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended.
Background:
Many factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) and recently the role of oxidative damage has been postulated.
Objectives:
To study the levels of oxidants and antioxidants including melatonin in the blood of children with AD and their association with the severity of AD.
Methods:
Thirty patients with atopic dermatitis, aged 6 months to 12 years, and equal number of age and sex-matched controls were included. Clinical characteristics and baseline severity assessment using SCORAD (scoring atopic dermatitis) severity index were noted. Blood superoxide dismutase, blood glutathione peroxidase, serum malondialdehyde, and serum melatonin levels were measured in cases and controls and results were compared.
Results:
The serum levels of malondialdehyde and melatonin were significantly higher among the cases compared to controls. The blood levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were higher in cases but the difference with controls was not statistically significant. There was no significant correlation between these markers and the severity of the disease.
Conclusions:
Oxidative stress was increased in cases of childhood AD compared to the control group in this study. No correlation between oxidative stress and the severity of the disease was found. Larger studies are warranted.
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