Abstract: Background: Androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common forms of hair loss. Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. It has been previously reported that both alopecia disorders can have negative effects on quality of life. However, only a few studies have compared the effects of the two disorders. Objective: The aim is to show the impact of alopecia on patients' quality of life and compare patients with androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Methods: 82 androgenetic alopecia and 56 alopecia areata patients were recruited. All patients were evaluated with the Hairdex scale and dermatology quality of life instrument in Turkish (TQL), and the scores were statistically compared according to age, sex, employment and education status, and severity of illness in the two groups. Also, female patients were statistically evaluated according to whether they wore headscarves. Results: Androgenetic alopecia patients had significantly higher total Hairdex scores in terms of emotions, functioning, and symptoms, while self-confidence was significantly higher in the alopecia areata patients. No significant differences were found in stigmatization or TQL scores between groups. The Hairdex scale and TQL scores did not show differences between the groups in terms of wearing headscarves. Study limitations: The validity and reliability of the Hairdex index have not been established in Turkey. Conclusions: Based on the Hairdex scale, our findings revealed that androgenetic alopecia patients are more affected by their disorder than alopecia areata patients. Although androgenetic alopecia is common and neither life-threatening nor painful, it is a stressful disorder with increased need for improvement in the patient's quality of life.

The metabolisms of reactive nitrogen and oxygen intermediates (RNI and ROI) in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) were investigated and compared with those of healthy subjects. To determine RNI metabolism, nitrite plus nitrate concentrations were measured spectrophotometrically. Nitrite concentration in plasma was determined directly by the Griess method. Nitrate levels in plasma were measured after reduction into nitrite by using copper-cadmium-zinc. ROI metabolism was evaluated by measuring erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Plasma nitrite plus nitrate levels and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity were higher in the patient group than healthy subjects (p<0.01). In contrast, erythrocyte catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were lower (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). ROI metabolism was altered in relation to hydrogen peroxide elevation in patients with CL. These alterations in ROI enable nitric oxide (NO) to amplify its leishmanicidal effect. The determination of ROI and RNI in patients with CL may be a useful tool to evaluate effector mechanisms of NO and clinical manifestations.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in sera, lymphocytes and granulocytes in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were investigated and compared with control groups. Fifty patients and 50 healthy individuals were studied. The clinical diagnosis was parasitologically confirmed by culture and Giemsa stain. ADA activities were measured by colorimetric method. Serum ADA activities 37.80 ± 11.90, 18.28 ± 6.08 IU/L (p<0.0001), lymphocyte specific ADA activities 14.90 ± 7.42, 8.38 ± 7.42 U/mg protein (p = 0.04), granulocyte specific ADA activities 1.15 ± 0.73 , 1.09 ± 0.67 U/mg protein ( p>0.05) were found in patients and control groups, respectively. ADA activity increases in some infectious diseases were cell mediated immune mechanisms are dominant. In cutaneous leishmaniasis, lymphokine-mediated macrophage activity is the main effector mechanism. Increase in serum and lymphocyte ADA activities in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis may be dependent on and reflects the increase in phagocytic activity of macrophages and maturation of T-lymphocytes.