The relationship between liver enzymes, antioxidants, and ABO blood types in Vitiligo patients

الملخص

Vitiligo is a skin disorder resulting from the destruction of melanocytes, leading to their cessation of
melanin production, the pigment responsible for skin color, and its transformation into white patches on
the skin. It is considered an autoimmune condition, resulting from an immune disorder, genetic
predisposition, psychological stress, or environmental factors such as sunburn. Vitiligo affects males and
females of all ages and is not limited to a specific body weight. However, individuals with vitiligo exhibit
differences in liver enzymes and antioxidant levels. This study investigated the relationship between
antioxidants, liver enzymes, and blood types. Forty serum samples were collected (20 from healthy
individuals and 20 from individuals with vitiligo). Demographic and epidemiological characteristics,
including age, sex, and weight, were measured, and no significant differences were observed between the
two groups. The enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP, GGT) were studied, and a significant increase in all liver
enzymes was observed in the patient group compared to the control group, according to the p-value. Our
study recorded imbalances in antioxidants (SOD, CAT, MDA, GSH, TAC), which were statistically
significant. SOD, CAT, GSH, and TAC all showed a significant decrease compared to the control group,
while the antioxidant MDA in the patients showed a significant decrease compared to the control. The
reason for the decrease in antioxidant levels is attributed to oxidative stress (resulting from free radicals
ROS, which depletes antioxidants) and a deficiency in nutrients such as (vitamin C and E, in addition to
a deficiency in selenium, zinc, and alpha-lipoic acid), which are essential elements for the function of
antioxidants. The current study of blood types did not observe any significant differences in predisposition
to vitiligo. Similarly, we did not find any correlation between the four blood types and liver enzymes in
patients, nor were there any differences between the four blood types and antioxidant levels. This suggests
that the disease is not related to blood type but is purely an autoimmune disease.