Serum Paroxonase 1 Level May Be an Indicator and Predictor of the Severity of Androgenetic Alopecia

The study examined serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) levels in 40 androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients compared to 40 controls, finding significantly lower PON1 levels in AGA patients, which correlated with the condition's severity. This suggested oxidative stress's involvement in AGA pathogenesis, as PON1 is an antioxidant enzyme. The study concluded that PON1 could be a sensitive and specific marker for AGA, with a cutoff value of 191 providing high sensitivity and specificity, and proposed that antioxidants might aid in managing AGA. It was the first study to demonstrate a significant decrease in PON1 in AGA patients, though it acknowledged limitations like its small, single-center sample size.