Correlation between vitiligo antibodies and extent of depigmentation in vitiligo.

We correlated the level of vitiligo antibodies to the extent of depigmentation in thirty-two patients with vitiligo. Vitiligo antibodies were assayed by protein A-sepharose immunoprecipitation method. Antibodies were present in four of eight (50%) patients with minimal vitiligo (less than 2% body surface involved), in nine of ten (90%) patients with moderate vitiligo (2 to 5% surface involved), and in thirteen of fourteen (93%) patients with more extensive disease (greater than 5% surface involved). The level of vitiligo antibodies in the three groups expressed as a binding index was 2.9% +/- 2.03, 5.6% +/- 2.92, and 8.0% +/- 3.03 SD, respectively. These results suggest that there is a relation between the incidence and level of vitiligo antibodies and the extent of depigmentation in vitiligo.