Vitiligo improvement in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis treated with infliximab

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a disabling disease affecting the enthesis and joints of the spine and peripheral sites. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory mediator which plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of AS. Infliximab (a chimeric monoclonal antibody which blocks the activity of TNF-alpha) is one of the most effective therapies of AS thus far. Vitiligo is a depigmenting disorder of the skin of unknown aetiology affecting 0.5-1% of the population. Here we describe the effect of infliximab on vitiligo in a patient with AS.