T cell subpopulations in vitiligo: a chronobiologic study.
The circadian rhythms of helper (CD4) and suppressor (CD8) T cells from the peripheral blood of 12 vitiligo patients (seven with active disease, five with static) and 12 healthy control subjects were studied. Patients with active vitiligo had a lower percentage of CD4+ cells than did control subjects at 0000 hours and at 0600 and 1200 hours; there were no differences between these values in patients with static vitiligo and those in control subjects. The percentage of CD8+ cells were lower at 1200 and 1800 hours in both active and static vitiligo patients than in control subjects. Cosinor analysis of the CD4+ cells showed a circadian rhythm in static vitiligo, whereas the rhythmicity was lost in active vitiligo. CD8+ cells did not show any circadian rhythm in either active or static vitiligo. Our data show more striking aberrations for T cell subtypes in active vitiligo than in static vitiligo. They suggest that cell-mediated immunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Mozzanica
N
N
Department of Dermatology, University of Milan, Italy.
Frigerio
U
U
Finzi
A F
AF
Cattaneo
A
A
Negri
M
M
Scaglione
F
F
Fraschini
F
F
Foppa
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002909:Chronobiology Phenomena; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000473:pathology*