The Relationship Between Depression Levels and Suicide Risk in Pediatric Patients With Alopecia Areata and the Oxidant-Antioxidant Balance

This study investigated oxidative stress markers and their relationship to depressive symptoms and suicide risk in children with alopecia areata (AA) compared to healthy peers. It involved 30 children with AA and 30 healthy controls. Results showed that children with AA had significantly higher levels of oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and homocysteine, while total antioxidant status (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were reduced. Despite these differences, depression and suicide risk scores were similar between the groups. The study concluded that oxidative stress might contribute to the development of AA, with certain biomarkers showing high diagnostic accuracy.