Vitiligo - The story from within: A transmission electron microscopic study before and after narrow-band ultraviolet B.
Melanocyte loss is the main feature of vitiligo, but evidence refers to pathological multiplayers. Transmission electron microscopy was utilized to further explore vitiligo before and after narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) therapy. Skin biopsies were retrieved from lesional and perilesional skin and compared to normal control skin. Sections were examined for melanocytes and keratinocytes and the number of melanosomes and thickness of basal lamina were measured. In lesional skin, keratinocytes revealed two types of degeneration with a significant increase in the mean thickness of basal lamina and decrease in the number of melanosomes. After treatment, lesional and perilesional skin showed variable ultrastructural features.
a Department of Dermatology , Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University , Cairo , Egypt.
Marwa M
MM
Fawzy
b Department of Histology & Cell Biology , Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University , Cairo , Egypt.
Zeinab M
ZM
El Maadawi
a Department of Dermatology , Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University , Cairo , Egypt.
Rehab A
RA
Hegazy
a Department of Dermatology , Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University , Cairo , Egypt.
Nesrin S Abd
NS
El Fatah
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
Narrow-band ultraviolet B; transmission electron microscopy; vitiligo