A. Morrone

Blood levels of vitamin E, polyunsaturated fatty acids of phospholipids, lipoperoxides and glutathione peroxidase in patients affected with seborrheic dermatitis.

Plasma levels of vitamin E (Vit E) and polyunsaturated fatty acids of phospholipids (PUFA-PL) as well as erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity are significantly lower (P less than 0.001) in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (SD). both HIV seropositive or HIV sero-negative, than in control subjects. No differences are found between HIV sero-positive and sero-negative individuals with SD. The deficiency of PUFA-PL (mainly C20: 3 n-6, C20: 4 n-6 and C22: 6 n-3) which is accompanied by a significant increase of saturated palmitic and stearic acids (P less than 0.001), does not appear to be associated with an active lipoperoxidative process in the plasma. The significant blood deficiency of Vit E, GSH-Px, and particularly of PUFA-PL, may play a pathogenetic role in seborrheic dermatitis.

Skin surface lipids in HIV sero-positive and HIV sero-negative patients affected with seborrheic dermatitis.

Skin surface lipids of patients affected with seborrheic dermatitis both HIV sero-negative (C group) and HIV sero-positive (B group) have been studied by capillary Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in comparison with normal age matched controls (A group) to determine whether, among the three groups of individuals, there were qualitative and quantitative changes in lipid class composition and in the fatty acid and alcohol components of lipid fractions. With regard to percent composition of skin surface lipid fractions, no significant differences were found between HIV sero-positive and HIV sero-negative patients with seborrheic dermatitis. The observed significant reduction of total lipids (micrograms/sq cm) in the sites affected with the disease in comparison with controls was associated with a slight but significant decrease of squalene (P less than 0.05) and with a corresponding increase of cholesterol and cholesterol esters (P less than 0.05). These abnormalities in lipid fractions and total lipids were not observed in the uninvolved skin of subjects with seborrheic dermatitis. Fatty acid and alcohol patterns of skin lipid fractions were not significantly different among the three groups of individuals.