Correlation of disease activity in vitiligo patients and its relation with HSP70 expression

An acquired pigmenting disorder, vitiligo, occurs worldwide with a prevalence of 0.5-2% and in India with 0.25%-4%. Stress-related pathways are involved may contribute to autoimmune melanocyte loss and HSP 70 (a stress-response molecular chaperone with immune- modulatory effects) may be a key link between stress and disease activity. In this case-control study, 40 vitiligo patients and 40 age and sex-matched controls underwent skin biopsies (lesional and non-lesional skin in patients; normal skin in controls) and HSP 70 mRNA expression was quantified using real-time PCR; patients were also grouped as highly active, moderately active or inactive based on clinical activity. Lesional vitiligo skin showed significantly higher HSP 70 expression than non-lesional skin and control skin (both P < 0.001), with higher mean levels in active compared with inactive vitiligo, while no association was found with age, sex or disease duration-supporting a role of HSP 70-related stress mechanisms in vitiligo pathogenesis and activity.