Background: Vitiligo is a depigmentation disease of the skin caused by selective melanocyte degradation. In recent years, vitiligo has become known as an autoimmune disorder.
Objectives: Our objective in this study was to determine serum levels of interleukin 23 (IL-23) and nitric oxide (NO) in vitiligo patients and their possible role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo, in an attempt to identify new treatment strategies.
Methods: The autoimmune and autocytotoxic mechanisms of vitiligo development were investigated in a case-control study comparing 30 vitiligo patients to 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of IL-23 and NO were measured in vitiligo patients and healthy controls. The interactions between IL-23 and NO with different parameters in the vitiligo group were also examined.
Results: Serum IL-23 and NO levels were higher in the vitiligo group compared with healthy controls (P