Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 May-Jun;63(3):227-230.
doi: 10.4103/ijd.IJD_457_16.

Serum Zinc Level in Vitiligo: A Case-control Study

Mina Mirnezami  1 , Hoda Rahimi  2
Affiliations

Serum Zinc Level in Vitiligo: A Case-control Study

Mina Mirnezami et al. Indian J Dermatol. 2018 May-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is characterized by the idiopathic destruction of melanocytes, probably of autoimmune etiology, that results in depigmented patches of skin and mucosal surfaces. Oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Zinc, a trace element with antiapoptotic properties, plays a major role in the process of melanogenesis and elimination of free radicals. The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing serum zinc levels in patients with vitiligo and in normal controls.

Materials and methods: In this case-control study, we studied 103 patients with vitiligo and 103 healthy sex-and age-matched controls. Serum zinc levels were measured in these two groups using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and compared with each other.

Results: The mean serum zinc level was 92.1 mcg/dl in the focal vitiligo, 81.3 mcg/dl in the generalized vitiligo, and 91.8 mcg/dl in the control group. A significant difference in serum zinc levels was observed between the patients with generalized vitiligo and the controls. Lower serum zinc levels were also correlated with longer duration of the disease. Furthermore, a negative relationship was found between serum zinc level and age of patients with vitiligo.

Conclusion: Serum zinc level is low in patients with generalized vitiligo. In these patients, serum zinc level is in negative correlation with patient's age and disease duration.

Keywords: Melanocyte; pigment; vitiligo; zinc.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ezzedine K, Sheth V, Rodrigues M, Eleftheriadou V, Harris JE, Hamzavi IH, et al. Vitiligo is not a cosmetic disease. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;73:883–5. - PubMed
    1. Yaghoobi R, Omidian M, Bagherani N. Comparison of therapeutic efficacy of topical corticosteroid and oral zinc sulfate-topical corticosteroid combination in the treatment of vitiligo patients: A clinical trial. BMC Dermatol. 2011;11:7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bagherani N, Yaghoobi R, Omidian M. Hypothesis: Zinc can be effective in treatment of vitiligo. Indian J Dermatol. 2011;56:480–4. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ebadi A, Rad MM, Nazari S, Fesharaki RJ, Ghalamkarpour F, Younespour S, et al. The additive effect of excimer laser on non-cultured melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation for the treatment of vitiligo: A clinical trial in an Iranian population. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015;29:745–51. - PubMed
    1. Abreu AC, Duarte GG, Miranda JY, Ramos DG, Ramos CG, Ramos MG, et al. Immunological parameters associated with vitiligo treatments: A Literature review based on clinical studies. Autoimmune Dis. 2015;2015:196537. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources