A New Biomarker in Patients with Vitiligo: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: CRP is an acute phase protein secreted in the blood stream by the liver in response to inflammatory cytokines such as IL6 and several other systemic inflammation biomarkers. Since inflammatory and immune factors have a key role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo, we aimed to assess the relationship between the serum level of hsCRP (as a biomarker for systemic inflammation) and the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Methods: In this case-control study, we enrolled patients who had referred to the Dermatology Department of Valiasr Dermatology Hospital, Birjand, Iran, during 2013. The patients were diagnosed to have vitiligo by a dermatologist. The patients were divided into two groups: those with type A vitiligo (generalized, n=30) and those with type B vitiligo (segmental, n=30). Moreover, 30 people who had the inclusion criteria and did not have vitiligo were selected among those referring to the clinic as the control group and matched with the other two groups. The serum hsCRP levels were checked for all the patients in the three groups and compared. Data were compared between the three groups and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: We did not find any significant difference between the three groups with respect to sex, age, smoking habit, BMI, and history of diabetes mellitus. The serum level of hsCRP was 4.76±1.31 mg/l in patients with type a vitiligo, 3.71±1.03 in those with type B vitiligo, and 3.01±1.08 in those in the control group. The highest level of serum hsCRP was related to patients with type A vitiligo while the lowest mean was related to the control group. The mean serum hsCRP level was significantly higher in patients with type A compared with those with type B and the control group (P<0.001). However, in patients with type B and the control groups no significant different was seen in this regard (P=0.053). Moreover, we found that the serum level of hsCRP did not differ between the three groups with respect to BMI. Conclusion: We found an association between increased serum hsCRP level and generalized vitiligo. The usage of hsCRP alone is neither sensitive, nor specific in diagnosis of vitiligo but this association could imply that hsCRP could intensify the severity of vitiligo thus serum hsCRP level might be useful for evaluating the disease activity of vitiligo as Novel biomarker.