title: Autoimmunity in vitiligo: relationship with HLA, Gm and Km polymorphisms.
abstract: Eighty-six patients affected by vitiligo were investigated for Gm, and Km polymorphisms, HLA markers and the presence of organ and non organ-specific autoantibodies. Vitiligo patients had an increased frequency of autoantibodies (71%), in particular anti-parietal cells (26.6%), antithyroglobulin (24.4%) and antithyroid microsomal antibodies (43%). One patient was also affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 4 by Graves' disease and two others by nontoxic, multinodular goiter. No correlation was found between chronologic age and sex and the presence of autoantibodies, while an increased frequency of organ-specific autoantibodies was found with longer duration of vitiligo. HLA-A3 and Gm (3; 23; 5, 10, 11, 13, 14) phenotype frequencies were significantly increased in patients without autoantibodies (P less than 0.05). Patients negative for these two phenotypes were significantly more prone to develop autoantibodies than those positive (P = 0.0032). C4AQO allele showed a significantly decreased frequency in the whole group of patients when compared to the controls (P less than 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orecchia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinetti
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dugoujon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuccia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015791:HLA-A3 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000276:immunology*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015791:HLA-A3 Antigen; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains