Our results support the hypothesis of an imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant system in psoriasis.

Our results demonstrate the presence of an imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant system in vitiligo at tissue level and provide further support for a free radical-mediated damage as an initial pathogenic event in melanocyte degeneration in vitiligo.

Oxidative stress may be induced by increasing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals. The generation of ROS is known to be associated with a decrease in antioxidant levels. In the present study, the role of oxidative stress was assessed in the pathogenesis of generalized vitiligo. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione (GSH) levels in erythrocytes and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were investigated in 24 patients with generalized vitiligo and 20 healthy controls. Our results indicated that significantly increased levels of erythrocyte SOD, serum MDA, and NO were associated with a marked reduction of erythrocyte GSH-Px and GSH activities in patients with generalized vitiligo (p<0.05). Our observations suggest that the presence of an imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant system might play a role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Our results further support the concept that free radical-mediated damage may be the initial pathogenic event in melanocyte degeneration in generalized vitiligo.

This study indicates that itraconazole plays an important role in the treatment of SD.

Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Although its pathogenesis is not fully understood, recent studies have suggested that immunological abnormalities and neutrophil hyperfunction may be involved in its etiology and pathophysiology. The immune system in BD can be characterized as a divergent cytokine production profile of the mixed Th1/Th2 cell type. In this study, we investigated the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13 and interferon-g in the sera of patients with BD, in comparison with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and healthy controls, to determine the Th1/Th2 profile of the disease. The levels of IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 were found to be high in active BD patients, and IL-12 and interferon-gamma levels were lower in active BD patients than in inactive BD, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and control patients.