Vitiligo is associated with a significant increase in HLA-A30, Cw6 and DQw3 and a decrease in C4AQ0 in northern Italian patients.

HLA polymorphisms of class I (HLA-A, B, C) of class II (HLA-DR, DQ) and of class III (C4A, C4B, BF) were investigated in 93 Northern Italian patients affected with vitiligo and in 388 controls. Vitiligo patients had significant increases in HLA-A30 (corrected p, pc = 0.0144), Cw6 (pc = 0.0189), DQw3 (pc less than 0.0003) and a significant decrease in C4AQ0 (pc = 0.003). Nonfamilial vitiligo is marked by increases in HLA-A30 and DQw3. Extensive vitiligo is marked by increases in HLA-A30 and Cw6. These findings suggest that immunogenetic mechanisms may be responsible for vitiligo and that unique HLA phenotypes may influence the expression of vitiligo in this population.