Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Immunology

2 Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research

3 Department of Dermatology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

4 Department of Immunology and

5 Dermatology, Fasa Medical School, Fasa, Iran

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is an acquired skin disorder that selectively destroys melanocytes in epidermis with an unknown etiology.  
Objective:
To investigate the exon 1 A49G polymorphism of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (ctla-4) gene in vitiligo patients.  
Methods:
The A49G polymorphism was detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in 101 patients and 208 normal healthy age/ethnicity matched individuals.  
Results:
The frequencies of heterozygote genotypes in patients and controls were found to be 42 (41.6%) of 101 and 85 (40.9%) of 208, respectively. The frequencies of homozygote A and G genotypes were 49 (48.5%) and 10 (9.9%) in 101 patients, whereas, these frequencies in 208 control individuals were 103 (49.5%) and 20 (9.6%), respectively. There was no significant difference between the genotype (P = 0.98) and allele (P = 0.86) frequencies of A49G polymorphism in patients and normal healthy individuals.  
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that in contrast to several immune mediated disorders, there is no association between ctla-4 A49G gene polymorphism and vitiligo.

Keywords