MATERIALE PLASTICE ♦53♦No.3♦2016 http://www.revmaterialeplastice.ro 522 Oxidative Stress- related Markers and Alopecia Areata Through Latex Turbidimetric Immunoassay Method SIMONA ROXANA GEORGESCU 1 , CORINA DANIELA ENE 2 *, MIRCEA TAMPA 1 , CLARA MATEI 1 , VASILE BENEA 3 , ILINCA NICOLAE 3 1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Dermatology and Venereology. 37 Dionisie Lupu Str., 020021, Bucharest, Romania 2 Carol Davila Nephrology Hospital, 17 Apolodor Str., 050741, Bucharest, Romania 3 Victor Babes Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, 283 Sos. Mihai Bravu, 030303, Bucharest, Romania Alopecia areata is the most important inflammatory alopecia, caused by immunological factors, genetic factors, emotional factors, endocrine dysfunctions, infectious foci, nutritional deficiencies, and the harmful action of various environmental stimuli. The use of aggressive shampoos, of inadequate cosmetic and styling products, hair dyeing and waving, external pollutants might participate in the physiopathology of alopecia by sustaining inflammation, disturbing the local microcirculation, promoting oxidative stress. The aim of this study is to verify the hypothesis that oxidative stress might influence the progression of alopecia areata. Regulating the possible identified imbalances in alopecia areata might represent a means of preventing or improving this disorder. Keywords: toxic products, oxidative stress, antioxidant status, alopecia areata A series of experimental proof support the conception that the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata is multifactorial, with immunological factors, genetic factors, neuroendocrine factors, oxidants, toxins being involved [1- 4]. Cleaning products, care products of beauty products for hair (shampoos, balms, lotions, gels, creams, masks, serums, dyes) contain, in their composition, beside valuable ingredients, a series of compounds with harmful effects for the scalp and the hair. Ingredients with good action (glycerine, oils from various seeds, sodium citrate or citric acid, panthenol) act as a protection barrier for the hair, offer a shiny aspect, assure an adequate pH, stimulate growth, hydration and nourishment of the hair. The accelerated development of plastic material industry leads to the identification of synthetic compounds which prolong the shelf life of haircare products and influence their commercialisation. Ingredients which ensure the removal of protective oils from the hairs and scalp, disrupt the hormonal equilibrium of the organism, influence the penetration of chemical cleansing agents in the hair, modify the superficial tension of liquids, are included in almost all categories of cleansing products, haircare products and beauty products. A series of ingredients from the composition of haircare products affect the hormonal equilibrium, cause asthma, eye and skin irritation, hair fall, redness, allergic reactions, eczema, cancer. As a consequence, the use of formaldehyde, dioxans, oxidants, ethoxylated alkylphenols, sulphates, propylene glycol, parabens represents a major criteria in choosing the haircare products. The use of products with an adequate chemical structure ensure an appropriate structure of the hair medulla, cortex and cuticle and an unaltered going of the fundamental biochemical processes (growth, hydration, nourishment, lubrication, pigment genesis, keratinisation) [5-8]. Keratin and melanin are the two major components of human hair. Keratin has large amounts of cystine, a diamino acid containing sulphur, which binds keratin polypeptide chains producing disulphide bonds with a high degree of stability [5]. Secondary bonds such as Van der * email: koranik85@yahoo.com Waals interactions, hydrogen bonds and salt links are also presents but they are very weak and they can be very easily broken [6]. Melanins are biological pigments which determine the colour of skin, hair and eyes. Melanins have a protective role as they can immobilize free radicals from oxidative stress [5, 7]. Hair bleaching and hair dyes are a form of oxidative stress. Demi-permanent dyes contain 2% hydrogen- peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and an alkalizing agent. Permanent dyes contain 6% H 2 O 2 and ammonia as an alkalizing agent while bleaches contain H 2 O 2 , ammonia and persulfates. During hair dyeing and hair bleaching the peroxide attacks certain amino acids, especially the molecules which contain sulphur, leading to oxidative degradation products. The melanin is also altered in the process and therefore it cannot protect hair proteins from the effect of reactive oxygen species. Methionine and cystine are mostly affected by reactive oxygen species and the disulphide bonds break. Therefore, the hair becomes weaker and it breaks more easily [5, 8]. On the other hand oxidative hair dyes and bleaching products can cause allergic reactions and irritation, due to the presence of H 2 O 2 and ammonia [8]. Alopecia areata is a non-scarring alopecia affecting approximately 0.1-0.2% of population. It is characterized by round or oval patches of hair loss, with e xclamation point hairs at the periphery. It is usually the size of a quarter, but patients can lose the whole hair on their scalp (alopecia totalis) or even the whole scalp and body hair (alopecia universalis). Genetic and environmental factors are incriminated in the aetiology [9]. Oxidative stress seems to also have a role in the occurrence of alopecia areata, the disequilibrium between oxygen reactive species and antioxidants leading to oxidative damage in cellular molecules. Since lipids are more sensitive to the harmful effects of free radicals several authors aimed, and succeeded, to prove that lipid peroxidation products, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), are higher in patients with alopecia areata than in healthy controls while the antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase, which plays a very important role in protection against oxidative stress, is defective. In other studies the