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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Quantification of Hypopigmentation Activity In Vitro

Quantification of Hypopigmentation Activity In Vitro

Published on: March 6, 2019

S100B: Correlation with Active Vitiligo Depigmentation.

Stanca A Birlea¹

¹Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology

|June 26, 2017

Summary

Vitiligo patients with active depigmentation show higher S100B protein levels. This finding suggests S100B could serve as a valuable marker for assessing vitiligo disease activity and extent.

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Area of Science:

Dermatology
Immunology
Biochemistry

Background:

Vitiligo is an autoimmune depigmenting disorder targeting melanocytes via cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.
Current vitiligo management lacks reliable methods to assess disease activity.
Elevated S100B levels are linked to inflammatory and tissue damage processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the correlation between S100B protein levels and vitiligo activity.
To explore S100B as a potential biomarker for active depigmentation in vitiligo.

Main Methods:

Analysis of circulating S100B levels in vitiligo patients.
Correlation of S100B levels with the extent of depigmented skin surface.
Comparison of S100B levels in active versus inactive vitiligo.

Main Results:

Patients with active vitiligo exhibited significantly higher circulating S100B levels.
S100B levels strongly correlated with the surface area affected by depigmentation.
S100B dynamics may reflect ongoing disease processes in vitiligo.

Conclusions:

S100B is a promising potential biomarker for assessing vitiligo disease activity.
Measuring S100B could aid in monitoring treatment response and disease progression.
Further research is warranted to validate S100B as a clinical tool for vitiligo management.