Shared genetic relationships underlying generalized vitiligo and autoimmune thyroid disease.
BACKGROUND
Generalized vitiligo is an autoimmune disease of skin pigmentation that is associated with increased prevalence of other autoimmune diseases, particularly autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD; principally Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease), both in vitiligo patients and their close relatives, suggesting a heritable predisposition involving, in part, shared susceptibility genes.


CONCLUSIONS
This review summarizes current knowledge of vitiligo epidemiology and genetics, highlighting recent findings from genome-wide approaches to disease gene identification, emphasizing susceptibility loci shared with other autoimmune diseases, particularly AITD, as well as some important differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Inherited susceptibility to generalized vitiligo involves a number of specific genes, many of which are shared with other autoimmune diseases that are epidemiologically associated with vitiligo, including AITD, confirming a longstanding hypothesis about the genetic basis of these disorders. These genes provide potential therapeutic targets for novel approaches to treatment as well as for approaches to presymptomatic diagnosis and disease prevention in individuals with inherited susceptibility to this group of autoimmune diseases.
Spritz
Richard A
RA
Human Medical Genetics Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80113, USA. richard.spritz@ucdenver.edu
D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000235:genetics; D020412:Multifactorial Inheritance; D015995:Prevalence; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*