Role of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants in the Course of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the forms of allergic dermatitis and the most common chronic recurring inflammatory skin disease. In case of allergic dermatitis, oxidative stress (OS) promotes inflammation, disrupts the skin's barrier function, and facilitates the penetration of allergens into the body. As a result, studying oxidative stress and its influence on the course and spread of these diseases is important in the search for new treatment strategies. This literature review aims to discover the effect of oxidative stress on the course of atopic dermatitis and review additional options for treatment. A comprehensive literature review was performed using the medical databases "PubMed" and the specialized search engine "Google Scholar" using the PICO model. Analyzed scientific articles were published from 2019 to 2024 in English. Of the 167 initial studies, 51 articles were included based on relevance, language, and release date. The other 116 articles were rejected due to incomplete publications and publications involving animals. Key biomarkers are associated with oxidative stress, including urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione, and glutathione disulfide, and they correlate directly with the severity of atopic dermatitis. This research emphasizes that antioxidants, such as vitamins, sun protection, coenzyme Q10, a balanced diet, melatonin, flavonoids, and NB-UVB therapy may have a positive impact on the pathogenesis and progression of atopic dermatitis.