LA DERMATITE SEBORROICA-LIKE NELLA SINDROME DA IMMUNODEFICIENZA ACQUISITA. ASPETTI CLINICI, ISTOLOGICI, MICROBIOLOGICI E RILIEVI BIOCHIMICI

Seventy-six patients diagnosed as having seborheic dermatitis (SD) were divided into two groups: group A (n=22) otherwise healthy subjects (HIV negative) and group B (n=54) HIV positive (ARC and AIDS cases). Thirty normal subjects without SD were considered as control (group C). The three groups were subjected to the following analyses: A) skin surfaces lipids (SSL) and fatty acid pattern of cholesterol esters, wax esters, triglycerides and free fatty acids fractions in the affected areas; B) plasma levels of Vitamine E and fatty acids of phospholipids; C) erythrocyte gluthatione peroxidase (3 cases for each group); D) frequency of Pityrosporum species in the affected areas; E) skin biopsy in the affected areas ( 2 cases for each group). Histological findings paralleled those reported in the Literature. SLL composition, fatty acid pattern and frequency of Pityrosporum species did not show significant variation among the 3 groups. On the contrary the blood levels of Vitamine E, polyunsaturated fatty acids of phospholipids and glutathione peroxidase were found significantly lower in A and B groups than in the controls.