title: Assessment of serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) among non-segmental vitiligo patients: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is an essential factor in the growth and maturation of blood cells as well as modulation of the immune system. Few studies have investigated its involvement in the development of vitiligo, and no studies have been performed on Egyptian patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess GM-CSF serum level among non-segmental Egyptian vitiligo patients and to determine its possible role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with non-segmental vitiligo and 40 age- and sex-matched subjects were assessed for levels of GM-CSF in serum using the ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients in this study showed lowerlevels ofGM-CSF in serum compared to controls (mean ± SD was 33.4 ± 5.7 pg/ml versus 63.4 ± 7.4 pg/ml, respectively, p = 0.0001). No appreciable relation was detected between levels of GM-CSF in serum and age, sex, family history, and stressful events or disease activity, type, and extent, p ˃ 0.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GM-CSF serum level may be one of the determinants of the autoimmune hypothesis in the etiopathogenesis of non-segmental vitiligo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Andrology, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Azmy Ahmed
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdellatif
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Andrology, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amr Mohamed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Andrology, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hamed Mohamed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Abdo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt. Corresponding author: dalia.g.aly@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dalia Gamal
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Aly
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Tarek Ahmed
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Emara
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Safinaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Toukhy
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hanaa Mohamed
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Emam
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mahetab Samir
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Abdelwahab
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor