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Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder characterized by well-circumscribed depigmented patches. Autoimmune, self-destruction, neural, and genetic theories have been proposed for the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Reactive oxygen species play an important role in the physiology of cell damage, and catalase is known to regulate oxidative stress. Reduced catalase enzyme activity and accumulation of excessive hydrogen peroxide were observed in vitiligo. To examine whether catalase gene polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo patients in Korean population, we investigated two CAT gene polymorphisms including (T/C) BstX I (A/T) Hinf I in 118 vitiligo patients and 200 healthy volunteers. The CAT gene genotype distribution and allele frequency were not significantly different between vitiligo patients and healthy controls. But, the haplotype of two polymorphisms was associated with vitiligo. This study suggests possible association between the CAT gene and the vitiligo susceptibility.

We compared the clinical efficacy of a short-term intervention of 308-nm excimer laser with that of narrow-band UVB (NBUVB) phototherapy for vitiligo patients to see the early response. Twenty-three symmetrically patterned patches of vitiligo on 8 patients were selected. Vitiligo patches on one side of the body were treated 2 times per week for a maximum of 20 treatments with the excimer laser, and NBUVB phototherapy was used on patches on the other side. Improvement (repigmentation) was assessed on a visual scale via serial photographs taken every five treatments and scored as follows: 0, ≤1% improvement; 1, ≤25% improvement; 2, 26-50% improvement; 3, 51-75% improvement; and 4, ≥75% improvement. At five treatments, the excimer laser-treated patches had an average score of 0.26, compared with 0.04 for patches treated with NBUVB phototherapy. A slightly higher repigmentation (p>0.05) in the excimer treated area was thus observed. At 10, 15, or 20 treatments, the differences between the average scores were significant: 0.83, 1.17, and 1.39 for the excimer-treated patches, and 0.17, 0.30, and 0.74 for the NBUVB phototherapy-treated areas (p<0.05). In conclusion, the 308-nm excimer laser appears to be more effective than NBUVB phototherapy, as it produces more rapid and profound repigmentation.

Vitiligo (leukoderma) is an acquired idiopathic hypomelanotic disorder characterized by the circumscribed depigmented patches. Vitiligo is a polygenic disease. The exact pathogenesis is not yet known. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene was selected as a candidate gene as ACE plays an important role in the physiology of the vasculature, blood pressure and inflammation, and its relationship with various diseases, including autoimmune diseases, has been widely investigated. The I/D polymorphism of ACE gene in vitiligo patients has not been reported. In this study, we investigated ACE gene polymorphism in 120 vitiligo patients and in 429 healthy volunteers in Korea. The ACE gene genotype distribution (P = 0.032) and allele frequency (P = 0.012) were significantly different between vitiligo patients and healthy controls. This study suggests that the ACE gene polymorphism has a strong association with the development of vitiligo in Korean patients.

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