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Calcium homeostasis influences epidermal sweating in patients with vitiligo
Author(s) -
ELWARY S.M.A.,
HEADLEY K.,
SCHALLREUTER K.U.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1997.17711860.x
Subject(s) - vitiligo , homeostasis , calcium , calcium metabolism , medicine , dermatology
Summary Patients with vitiligo have a decreased sweating response in both their lesional and non‐lesional skin ( n =17) compared with healthy age‐and sex‐matched controls ( n =22) after stimulation with the acetylcholine agonist pilocarpine. The decreased cholinergic response of the dermal sweat glands in this patient group correlates with a significantly lower calcium concentration in sweat compared with controls. In addition, a significantly higher potassium concentration was found in the pigmented skin of these patients. The other fast exchange ions sodium and chloride are unaffected. In vitiligo, there was a marginal sweat induction after adrenergic stimulation in four of 10 patients tested whereas all controls ( n =10) did not show any response.