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Subject Area

Dermatology

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is a common autoimmune disorder (AID) characterized by extensive loss of melanocytes, causing depigmented skin patches. Interleukin-38 (IL- 38), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, has been linked to several autoimmune conditions, but its involvement in vitiligo hasn’t been confirmed. Aim: To measure serum IL-38 levels in patients with non-segmental vitiligo (NSV) and explores how these levels relate to disease severity and activity. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional case-control study that included 40 patients with non-segmental vitiligo and 40 healthy individuals matched for age, sex, and BMI. Assessment of disease severity and activity was conducted by using the Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (VASI) and Vitiligo Disease Activity (VIDA) score respectively. Serum IL- 38 concentrations were measured using ELISA. Statistical tests included t-tests, ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and ROC curve analysis. Results: Serum IL-38 levels were significantly increased in cases compared to controls (18.42 ± 4.45 pg/mL vs. 12.98 ± 3.72 pg/mL; p < 0.001). IL-38 levels rose progressively with disease severity, from mild (16.05 ± 2.36 pg/mL) to moderate (19.08 ± 2.69 pg/mL) and severe cases (24.43 ± 5.87 pg/mL) (p < 0.001). IL-38 displayed a positive relationship with both VASI (r = 0.655, p < 0.001) and VIDA scores (r = 0.407, p = 0.009). ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.83, and a cutoff value of 15.05 pg/mL demonstrated 80% sensitivity (Sn) and 62.5% specificity (Sp). Conclusion: Patients with non-segmental vitiligo showed elevated serum IL-38 levels, which increased with disease severity and activity. Therefore, IL-38 may have potential as a biomarker and could be explored further as a therapeutic target.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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