What Does “treating Vitiligo with Catalase” Mean?

What does “treating vitiligo with catalase”  mean? 

Key points 

Established medical treatments for systemic vitiligo are usually chosen for inducing local and/or systemic  reduction of the immune system (=immune depression).

An alternative therapeutic option is based on the concept that instead of inducing local and/or systemic  immunodepression in vitiligo subjects, one can introduce substances rich in catalase activity in order to protect  melanocytes against the excessive oxidative stress. 

Answer 

Catalase is a substance well known for its  antioxidant properties. 

It belongs to the group of oral and local  antioxidants, which have been listed and  discussed in the previous chapters. 

The subject is  exhaustively discussed in the book “Natural  Antioxidants in General Medicine and in  Dermatology”, available as e-book for the VRF  audience. 

This substance is usually of natural origin and  its use is combined with ultra violet irradiation of  the skin. 

The Dead Sea climatotherapy associated with  topical pseudocatalase seems to be as effective as  the use of potent local corticosteroids in inducing  repigmentation. 

Thus, this issue should be discussed by the  patients with their dermatologist before staring  any active treatment with chemical drugs, which  induce immune depression, keeping in mind that  unfortunately defined dosing parameters and  possible side effects have not been fully  elucidated yet for those substances with catalase  activity