Elevated level of B-cell-activating factor in tissues and serum of patients with vitiligo: a proof of autoimmune theory

Abstract

Background Several studies strongly supported the involvement of autoimmunity in vitiligo pathogenesis, which proposed the alteration of both humoral and cellular immunity leading to the destruction of melanocytes. B-lymphocyte-activating factor (BAFF) is a member of tumor necrosis factor family that has an important role in peripheral B-cell survival and homeostasis. The increased production of BAFF may lead to autoimmunity. Objective To assess BAFF levels in both serum and tissue in patients with vitiligo to detect its possible role in the disease. Patients and methods The present case–control study included 30 patients with vitiligo and 30 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls. Overall, 5 ml of blood sample was retrieved, and lesional skin biopsy specimen was obtained from the margin of lesional skin from each patient and site-matched control for estimation of BAFF levels by ELISA. Results A higher level of BAFF was detected in tissues and sera of patients with vitiligo (8.3±5.0 and 1.9±1.0, respectively) compared with healthy controls (1.0±0.3 and 1.1±0.5 with P<0.001 and <0.005, respectively). Significant correlation was found between BAFF levels in either tissue or serum with duration of the disease (r=0.9, P<0.001 and r=0.7, P<0.001, respectively). Moreover, significant correlation was found between BAFF in tissue and BAFF in serum (r=0.7 and P<0.001). Conclusion The present study provides further evidence on the role of BAFF in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.

Keywords

• autoimmune
• b-cell activating factor
• vitiligo