Abstract
Background Vitiligo is a chronic condition characterized by skin depigmentation. Although not life-threatening, it significantly impacts quality of life. The pathophysiology of vitiligo remains poorly understood, and treatment options are limited. Mounting evidence supports the importance of autoreactive T cells and, particularly interleukin-17A- (IL-17A-) secreting Th17 cells, in vitiligo. IL-17A targeting has been proven successful in various inflammatory dermatological conditions, including psoriasis and lupus erythematosus. Objective We evaluated the relationship between serum levels of IL-17A and the clinicopathological characteristics of Vietnamese vitiligo patients. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 52 nonsegmental vitiligo patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Serum levels of IL-17A were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We evaluated the correlation between IL-17A levels and clinical characteristics including leukotrichia, disease duration, vitiligo activity, and body surface area involvement. Results Patients with progressive vitiligo had significantly higher IL-17A levels than patients with stable vitiligo (P = 0.014) or healthy individuals (P = 0.002). In addition, serum IL-17A levels were higher in vitiligo patients with leukotrichia than in patients without it (P = 0.04). Furthermore, serum IL-17A levels were negatively correlated with age (r = −0.39, P = 0.004) and age of onset (r = −0.33, P = 0.016) in vitiligo patients. Conclusions Higher serum levels of IL-17A in patients with progressive vitiligo and leukotrichia suggest a potential role of IL-17A in melanocyte destruction in the epidermis and the follicular matrix.
Highlights
Vitiligo is characterized by the progressive destruction of pigmentary cells in the epidermis and the hair follicles, which leads to white macules that are challenging to cure. e disease has an estimated prevalence of 0.1–2% of the world’s population [1,2,3]
We found that serum IL-17A level was significantly increased in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo compared to healthy controls, confirming the findings of studies [26,27,28,29,30]
We found a negative correlation between IL-17A levels and age of onset in vitiligo patients. is finding is in agreement with the findings of Basak et al [25] but contradict those of Zhou et al [37]. is suggests that IL-17A may contribute to the immune response in early-onset vitiligo
Summary
Vitiligo is characterized by the progressive destruction of pigmentary cells in the epidermis and the hair follicles, which leads to white macules that are challenging to cure. e disease has an estimated prevalence of 0.1–2% of the world’s population [1,2,3]. E precise etiology of vitiligo remains unclear (a) biochemical [4], (b) neural [5], and (c) autoimmune [6, 7] mechanisms seem to play a role in its onset. Changes in CD4+ T cell functions and the presence of autoreactive melanocyte-specific cytotoxic T cells play important roles in vitiligo pathogenesis [8, 9]. The role of the CD8-CXCR3-CXCL9/10-IFNc axis in the pathogenesis of nonsegmental vitiligo is becoming increasingly evident [10, 11]; targeting this pathway may lead to long-term adverse effects, such as skin cancer, as it plays a vital role in maintaining the cutaneous immunity [12]. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the relationship between serum levels of IL-17A and the clinicopathological characteristics of Vietnamese individuals with nonsegmental vitiligo
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