JLE

European Journal of Dermatology

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Serum levels of functional T-regs in vitiligo: our experience and mini-review of the literature Volume 23, numéro 2, March-April 2013

Auteurs
Institut Department of Dermatology and Venereology Policlinico “Umberto I” University of Rome “La Sapienza” Viale del Policlinico, 155 00133 Rome, Italy

Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentary skin disorder due to the loss of cutaneous melanocytes or alteration in melanocyte function, affecting over 0.5% of the world population. The exact cause of melanocyte loss in non-segmental vitiligo is still debatable, but many observations have pointed to the main role of cellular immunity. Earlier evidence has shown that depigmenting vitiligo skin is accompanied by CD8+ T cytotoxic lymphocytes infiltrates at the dermal-epidermal junction. Dysregulation of Tregs may be one of the factors that can break tolerance to melanocyte self-antigens and contribute to the pathogenesis of vitiligo. The objectives of the present study were to provide evidence of the presence of a functional defect and decrease of peripheral regulatory T cells in patients affected by vitiligo, supporting the hypothesis of their involvement in the pathogenesis of the disease, opening new possibilities to advance therapeutic approaches.