RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease characterized by a total or partial loss of melanocytes from the epidermis and other tissues of the skin. It is placed in the class of secondary psychiatric disorders and can also lead to psychological problems. The main aim of this study was to assess social acceptance in vitiligo patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all of the patients (n=150) with vitiligo who were referred to dermatology clinics in Rafsanjan, Iran. The patients completed a social acceptability questionnaire (Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale), and information regarding their demographic characteristics was also collected. Data were gathered and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS-19 software. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 27.56±10.53 years and 65.9% were female. Mean score of social acceptance among the patients was 13.51±7.08. The results showed that the mean scores of social acceptance were significantly lower in women, in those with single marital status, in those with face and neck lesions, and in those with disease duration less than 5 years. CONCLUSION: The results showed that certain groups of patients with vitiligo are at greater risk of experiencing lower social acceptance.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Alopecia Areata (AA) is a non-scarring, autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. Inflammatory reactions are involved in hair loss of the scalp and/or body. The involvement of chemokine receptors in the pathogenesis of AA is well defined among which, CXCL1 acts on neutrophils and CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 serve as T lymphocytes recruiters. OBJECTIVE: To study the serum levels of ELR+ and ELR- CXCL1, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 in the patients suffering from AA and healthy controls. METHODS: The study population consisted of 30 patients suffering from AA and 30 healthy controls. Serum concentrations of CXCL1, CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Current results showed that AA patients had significantly elevated serum levels of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in comparison to controls (p<0.001). These results also demonstrated that serum levels of CXCL1 and CXCL12 were significantly decreased in AA patients compared to control (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: CXCL9 and CXCL10 are elevated in the AA patients and may be involved in the recruitment of T lymphocytes to the inflamed tissues. Moreover, due to the significant role played by these chemokines in angiogenesis/angiostatis phenomenon they could be considered as useful biomarkers in AA diagnosis and therapy.
