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Background: Vitiligo is a common form of localized depigmentation of skin which draws unusual attention to the patient especially when it is in visible areas of the body. The appearance of visible skin lesions and its chronic progression may cause a significant burden on patients' health-related quality of life and psychiatric morbidity may arise as a complication. Aims: An endeavor has been made to find out how the disease influences the quality of life of affected persons. Methodology: This was a hospital based cross sectional study. Clinically diagnosed eighty vitiligo patients were selected from dermatology outpatient department with purposive sampling method and compared them with those of healthy control group. In selected cases Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire was used for the assessment of quality of life. Also International classification of mental and behavioral disorders research criteria along with 17-item Hamilton Rating scale of Depression were applied to diagnose the presence of depression. Data were collected and “Chi Square Test” or “Fisher Exact t Test” was used. All analysis were done using SPSS version 20.0. Results: In this study 92.5% of the patients had elevated DLQI scores. We found higher DLQI mean score in vitiligo patients (9.68+5.24) compared to (1.36+ 1.37) of control and depression was significantly associated with the impairment of quality of life. Conclusion: Vitiligo patients have significant impairment in their quality of life and more in those who develops depression.

Background: Craving plays an important role in maintenance of alcohol dependence. Earlier studies have analyzed the role of ghrelin in craving and their results have been heterogenous. Acyl ghrelin is its more active form as it crosses the blood brain barrier. Hence we aimed to examine the relationship between plasma acyl ghrelin and craving in Indian patients having alcohol dependence syndrome. Methods: The present study was a hospital-based prospective study. A total of 60 drug-naive patients of alcohol dependence and 30 healthy controls were included. After taking informed consent fasting blood samples were collected from them on day 1 and tested for plasma acyl ghrelin level. Fasting blood samples were repeated in all cases on day 14. During this time, we also assessed the patients' cravings by obsessive compulsive drinking scale, and alcohol craving questionnaire; and withdrawal by clinical institute withdrawal assessment for alcohol scale. These scales were repeated on day 14. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 25.0. Results: Plasma concentrations of acyl ghrelin increased significantly during early abstinence in patients from day 1 to day 14 (P < 0.0001). Pearson correlation test revealed a trend of positive correlation between plasma concentration of acyl ghrelin on day 14 and severity of craving on day 1. Conclusion: Our results suggest the plasma concentration of acyl ghrelin may be a predictor of severity of alcohol craving during early abstinence. Anti-craving drugs acting on acyl ghrelin level in brain may open an innovative avenue for optimum treatment of alcohol dependence.

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