Nonsegmental vitiligo: decrease of the CD45RA+ T-cell subset and evidence for peripheral T-cell activation.

Peripheral T-lymphocytes from 16 randomly selected patients with nonsegmental vitiligo were labeled with monoclonal antibodies recognizing T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha/beta, TCR gamma/delta, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD11b, CD11c, CD16, CD56, CD25, CD54, and HLA-DR antigens. In comparison with matched controls, a significant decrease of the CD45RA+ subset (P less than 0.03) together with significant increase of the circulating HLA-DR+ cells (P less than 0.02) was found. No other alterations were detected. These findings may point to some autoimmune phenomena involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. The increased HLA-DR expression indicates the presence of activated peripheral T-cells. Thus, our data provide new and further evidence for T-cell dysregulation in nonsegmental vitiligo.