Serum protein carbonyl and total antioxidant capacity levels in pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid

Background: Pemphigus diseases including pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and bullous pemphigoid (BP) are autoimmune diseases that cause severe blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. Among inflammatory mediators, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of diseases through oxidative stress for which protein carbonyl (PC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) are two important markers. Methods: We utilized PC and TAC in this study to compare the serum redox status of PV and BP patients with healthy subjects to investigate the possible role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Results: The serum PC level was significantly higher in patients (3.07 ± 1.57 μM) than the healthy controls (0.86 ± 0.24 μM) (P< 0.01). The serum TAC was significantly higher in the patient group (3.45 ± 0.46 mM) compared with the healthy group (1.15 ± 0.05 mM) (P< 0.01). Besides, both serum PC and TAC levels showed no significant difference between PV and BP patients. Conclusion: The findings of our study support the hypothesis that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of PV and BP.