title: The occurrence of cutaneous nerve endings and neuropeptides in vitiligo vulgaris: a case-control study.
abstract: Pioneering studies both in humans and animals have demonstrated an association between the peripheral nervous system and epidermal melanocyte destruction. The presence of certain neuropeptides and neuronal structural markers in peripheral nerve fibres was investigated in involved and uninvolved vitiligo skin and compared with normal healthy skin. A group of 18 vitiligo vulgaris patients and matched healthy volunteers participated in the investigation. The indirect immunofluorescence technique was employed. There was a tendency for a reduction in the number and intensity of low affinity (p75) nerve growth factor receptor immunoreactive (NGFr-IR) basal keratinocytes in involved vitiliginous skin (P < 0.06) compared with control skin, while the number of NGFr-IR nerve fibres was significantly increased (P < 0.01). The number of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-IR nerve fibres in the epidermis and papillary dermis was dramatically increased in involved skin as compared with control skin (P < 0.01) and with uninvolved skin (P < 0.05). No clear difference could be found in the distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)- and neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY)-IR nerve fibres. A different structural appearance of the peripheral nervous system as well as a changed balance of neuropeptides in vitiliginous skin point to a critical role of the nervous system in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bondesson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Löntz
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009479:Neuropeptides; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide