title: Assessment of gene expression levels of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) in vitiligo.
abstract: Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) are regulators of melanogenesis and pigmentation. Our objective was to estimate their levels, searching for a possible role of the melanocortin system in vitiligo. This study included 40 vitiligo patients and 40 controls. Skin biopsies were taken from lesional and non-lesional skin of patients and from the non-sun exposed skin of controls to detect the expression of POMC and MC1R using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Both factors were significantly lower in lesional than non-lesional skin and controls, while they were significantly higher in non-lesional skin than in controls. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between lesional levels of POMC and MC1R, as well as between non-lesional levels of POMC and MC1R in the patients. On the other hand, we found a statistically significant negative correlation between the lesional and non-lesional levels of POMC, as well as between the lesional and non-lesional levels of MC1R in the patients. As a conclusion, the melanocortin system could play a role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo or could be affected as the end result of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Noha A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nagui
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rania M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3280-0796
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Abdel Hay
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: May M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hassieb
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Laila A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rashed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics*; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D012867:Skin; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin
keywords: melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R); melanogenesis; proopiomelanocortin (POMC); stress; vitiligo