Positive pleiotropic effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on vitiligo.
BACKGROUND
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are commonly used in medicine to control blood lipid disorder. Large clinical trials have demonstrated that statins greatly reduces cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality in patients with and without coronary artery disease. Also, the use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors has been reported to have immunosuppressive effects.


METHODS
We describe an unusual case of regression of vitiligo in a patient treated with high dose simvastatin. The relation between simvastatin and regression of vitiligo in this case report may be related to the autoimmune pathophysiology of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
This unexpected beneficial impact provides another scientific credence to the hypothesis that immune mechanisms play a role in the development of vitiligo and that the use of statins as immuno-modulator could be of use not only for treatment relative to organ transplant but in other pathologies such as vitiligo.
Noël
Martin
M
Centre de Recherche Clinique, Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Hôpital Laval, Ste-Foy, Canada. martin.noel@crhl.ulaval.ca
Gagné
Claude
C
Bergeron
Jean
J
Jobin
Jean
J
Poirier
Paul
P