Investigation of Plasma Thiol/Disulfide Balance in Male Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia

This study investigated oxidative stress (OS) through thiol/disulfide balance in 45 male patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) compared to 42 healthy controls. The results showed no significant differences in thiol and disulfide levels between AGA patients and controls. However, native thiol and total thiol levels were negatively correlated with age and AGA duration, while disulfide levels correlated with age. Additionally, patients with low vitamin D levels had significantly lower albumin and native thiol levels but higher total thiol and native thiol/total thiol ratios. The study concluded that thiol/disulfide homeostasis is balanced in male AGA patients, but shifts towards oxidative stress in those with emotional stress and vitamin D deficiency.