Interleukin 1α and interleukin 18 in patients with vitiligo – Results of a case-control study

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy Vol. 160; p. 114364
• Main Authors: Nieradko-Iwanicka, Barbara, Przybylska, Daria, Borzęcki, Andrzej
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01.04.2023
• Subjects: Case-Control Studies; Humans; Interleukin 18; Interleukin 1α; Interleukin-1; Interleukin-1alpha; Interleukin-8; Vitiligo; Interleukin 1α; Vitiligo; Interleukin 18
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114364

Vitiligo is a depigmenting disorder resulting from loss of functional melanocytes in the skin. Variety of inflammatory mediators participate in the regulation of melanogenesis in melanocytes: interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-33, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, interferon-γ, prostaglandin E2 have the effect of promoting melanogenesis, while interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-4, interleukin-6, interleukin-17 and tumor necrosis factor can inhibit melanogenesis. Evaluation of IL-1α and IL-18 levels in peripheral blood in patients with vitiligo compared to healthy controls. Fifty patients aged 18–81 with vitiligo participated in the study. The control group consisted of 38 healthy people. Venous blood samples were obtained from each participant. Serum IL-1α and IL-18 concentrations were determined using the enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Among patients with vitiligo, the mean concentration of IL-1α was 0.13 (± 0.535) pg/mL, while in the control group it was 0.51 (± 1.51). There were no statistically significant differences in IL-1α concentrations between patients in the study group compared to the control group (p > 0.05). In the study group, the mean IL-18 concentration was 141.05 (± 136.33) pg/mL vs 137.33 (± 105.83) pg/mL in the controls. There were no statistically significant differences in IL-18 concentrations between patients in the study group compared to the controls (p > 0.05). In the Spearman correlation test, no correlation was confirmed between IL1α and IL-18 concentrations in the group of patients with vitiligo vs healthy people. There is no correlation between Il-1 and Il-18 concentration in the blood sera of patients with vitiligo. [Display omitted] •IL-1α is a melanogenesis inhibitor.•No significant difference in IL-1α concentration between healthy subjects and vitiligo patients•IL-18 is melanogenesis promotor.•No significant difference in IL-18 concentrationbetween healthy subjects and patients with vitiligo.•There is no correlation between IL-1α and IL-18 in patients with vitiligo.