Master’s Thesis on Vitiligo Patients at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon
As part of the activities of the Clinical Biochemistry Department, the College of Medicine at the University of Babylon held the defense session of a master’s thesis by student Abdul Kareem Abbas Abdulwahid, entitled:
“A Study of Serum Biomarkers of Chemokine Ligands (CXCL9, CXCL10), Catecholamines, and Vitamin B12 in Active Vitiligo in Babylon Province”,
under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Abdul-Sami Hassan Al-Ta’i and Prof. Dr. Wissam Ali Amin.
The session was attended by the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Muhannad Abbas Al-Shallah, the Assistant Dean for Scientific Affairs, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ashraf Mohammed Ali, the Director of Graduate Studies, Prof. Dr. Lamees Abdul Razzaq, the Head of the Department, Prof. Dr. Tareq Hussein Mughair, along with several faculty members, researchers, academics, and postgraduate students.
During his defense, the researcher explained that vitiligo is a common non-contagious pigmentary disorder that affects individuals of all ages and genders, characterized by irregular loss of pigmentation in the skin, hair, and oral mucosa. While the exact cause remains unclear, recent studies suggest that an abnormal autoimmune response involving the IFN-?-CXCL9/CXCL10 axis plays a key role in recruiting autoreactive CD8+ T-cells, leading to melanocyte destruction.
Additionally, Vitamin B12 deficiency and elevated norepinephrine levels may contribute to oxidative stress in keratinocytes, which triggers this immune pathway. The resulting immune dysregulation ultimately leads to melanocyte loss. However, effective treatments for vitiligo remain limited.
Levels of norepinephrine, CXCL9, CXCL10, and Vitamin B12 were measured using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The statistical analysis included ANOVA, t-test, Chi-square test, correlation coefficients, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
The results showed that serum levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, and norepinephrine were significantly higher in patients with active vitiligo compared to those with stable disease and healthy controls (P = 0.001*), and they were positively correlated. Conversely, Vitamin B12 levels were significantly lower (P < 0.001*), and it showed a negative correlation with CXCL9, CXCL10, and norepinephrine.
The Area Under the Curve (AUC) values for CXCL9 and CXCL10 were favorable for early diagnosis of active vitiligo, while norepinephrine and Vitamin B12 had lower diagnostic performance.
In conclusion, this study highlights the multifactorial pathogenesis of vitiligo, involving immune, neurochemical, and nutritional components. The findings emphasize the need for integrated, multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches that address the immune, psychological, and nutritional aspects of vitiligo patients. CXCL9 and CXCL10 may serve as useful biomarkers for early disease activity detection.