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Involvement of T cells in early evolving segmental vitiligo
Author(s) -
Shin J.,
Kang H. Y.,
Kim K. H.,
Park C. J.,
Oh S. H.,
Lee S. C.,
Lee S.,
Choi G. S.,
Hann S. K.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/ced.12852
Subject(s) - vitiligo , infiltration (hvac) , dermis , cd8 , pathology , dermatome , il 2 receptor , medicine , lesion , epidermis (zoology) , lymphocytic infiltration , t cell , anatomy , immunology , immune system , surgery , physics , thermodynamics
Summary Recent studies have suggested an overlapping autoimmune mechanism between segmental vitiligo ( SV ) and nonsegmental vitiligo ( NSV ). Although T‐cell infiltration is observed in the margins of active lesions in NSV , the histopathological characteristics of the active margin of SV are not well known. To determine if T‐cell inflammatory responses are present in the active margin of SV lesions, biopsies were taken from the active margin of a lesion in 12 patients with early or actively spreading SV and compared with a normal control sample (on the symmetrical, opposite site of the same dermatome). The samples were stained for CD 4, CD 8, CD 25 and interferon‐γ. Lymphocytic infiltration was seen in 70% of patients. CD 4+ T cells infiltrated the dermis, while CD 8+ T cells were present in the epidermis or attached to the basal layer. The increase in the number of CD 8+ T cells was significant ( P < 0.04), while CD 4+ or CD 25+ T cells also appeared to be increased in number, but this was not significant. These results suggest that SV also has an autoimmune mechanism in the early evolving stage.