Efficacy of noncultured melanocyte‐keratinocyte cell suspension vs hair follicular cell suspension transfer in stable vitiligo: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Noncultured melanocyte-keratinocyte cell transplantation (NMKT) and noncultured autologous hair follicular extracted cell suspension (HFECS) are surgical methods for stable vitiligo. 1 Our study aimed to compare NMKT with HFECS in stable vitiligo, in a randomized controlled study. Fifteen eligible patients older than 12 years were recruited. Patients were randomized for treatment with NMKT, HFECS, or placebo. The majority of lesions (66.7%) were on face and hands. The mean duration of disease was 14.17 ± 8.3 years. We harvested hair follicles from occipital area and took split skin from anterolateral aspect of thigh. Suspension preparation was almost the same method used by Singh et al. 2 In placebo group, we only dermabraded manually the recipient site. Dressing was removed 1 week after surgery, and after 3 weeks, all patients underwent narrow band ultraviolet B radiation (NBUVB) twice weekly for 16 weeks. Patients were visited monthly up to 6 months and at 1 year. Recipient surface areas, 10 cm 2 in each patient, were measured by graph papers and color match were evaluated by two independent dermatologists as excellent (95-100%), good (65-94%), moderate (25-64%), and weak (0-24%). Re-pigmentation appeared between 3 and 6 weeks in all patients (except one in HFECS) and after 1 year was diffuse for all lesions except one in NMKT (Table 1). All treated lesions had excellent color match, except one hyperpigmentation in NMKT and one in placebo group (due to dermabrasion or NBUVB). Two donor sites also showed hyperpigmentation. No relapse was observed after 40% F

Evaluation of clinical efficacy and laboratory indicators of non‐cultured epidermal cell suspension and hair follicle cell suspension in surgical management of stable vitiligo: A randomized comparative trial

“…While, Hamza et al reported higher re‐pigmentation with HFCS after 3 months, Moosavi et al noted good re‐pigmentation with ECS at the end of 4 months 9,11 . Both studies used NBUVB treatment post‐surgery and found no significant difference between the two methods 9,11 . In the present study, percentage re‐pigmentation with both ECS and HFCS improved over time, with the former being significantly superior at weeks 4 and 16.…”

“…Donaparthi et al observed that 83.3% and 43.3% of the total 11 participants in their study exhibited an excellent re‐pigmentation with ECS and HFCS, 6 months post‐surgery, respectively with ECS being significantly superior 10 . While, Hamza et al reported higher re‐pigmentation with HFCS after 3 months, Moosavi et al noted good re‐pigmentation with ECS at the end of 4 months 9,11 . Both studies used NBUVB treatment post‐surgery and found no significant difference between the two methods 9,11 .…”