Humoral immune system role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo

Abstract

Background and purpose Vitiligo is a common acquired skin disease that is due to the absence or destruction of melanocytes. The role of humoral immune system including presence of anti-melanocyte antibody (AMA), rheumatoid factor (RF), complement 3 and 4 (C3 and C4) and antinuclear antibody (ANA) were assessed to determine the etiology of this recently mentioned disease. Methods This was a study on serum values of 55 patients with vitiligo and 60 healthy person as control. There were performed by measuring the AMA values with indirect immunoflurescent test and C3 and C4 with single radial immuno-diffusion (SRID) plus that determination and measurement of RF was also performed with latex and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA). Results ANA test was positive in 4 (7.3%) patients and in 1 (1.7%) healthy control. In addition to that, there was no reasonable relationship recognized between ANA and the disease. C3 and C4 values already decreased in 14 (25.5%) patients (P<0.005) that there was reasonable relationship between the decreased level of C3 and C4 and vitiligo. RF was positive in 6 (10.8%) patients performed with ELISA whereas it was negative in all of the control group, but it was negative in both of them (the patient and control groups) with latex test. AMA was positive in 17 (30.9%) patients and was negative in all of the control group and there was also a relationship detected between the presence of AMA and vitiligo (P<0.001). Conclusion These results show that the important role of the humoral immune system in pathogenesis of vitiligo and it seems that this is an autoimmune process that needs several more studies to show the role of the other immune factors in pathogenesis of vitiligo.