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Immunohistochemical Study of ACTH and α‐MSH in Vitiligo Patients Successfully Treated with a Sex Steroid‐Thyroid Hormone Mixture
Author(s) -
Ichimiya Makoto
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.1999.tb02035.x
Subject(s) - vitiligo , immunohistochemistry , melanocyte stimulating hormone , hormone , medicine , endocrinology , adrenocorticotropic hormone , melanocyte , melanin , lesion , thyroid , pigmentation disorder , steroid hormone , melanoma , dermatology , pathology , biology , cancer research , genetics
We previously reported that a sex steroid‐thyroid hormone (Metharmon‐F®; MF, 2 tablets daily) was a potent drug for treatment of vitiligo. Using five patients with generalized vitiligo who were successfully treated with oral administration of MF, we performed an immunohistochemical analysis to elucidate its action mechanism at the cellular level. Histopathologically, the repigmented skin after the treatment showed increased numbers of melanocytes and melanin granules. Immunohistochemically, there was little significant difference between the depigmented lesion before treatment and the repigmented lesion after treatment in terms of the reactivity to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) in keratinocytes. The immunoreactivity to ACTH in melanocytes both before and after the treatment was minimal, but α‐MSH in melanocytes became much stronger after the treatment, than before the treatment. The efficacy of MF in treatment of vitiligo was proven to be due to the stimulatory effect of melanocyte proliferation and melanin production via α‐MSH.