Accumulating studies have indicated that vitiligo, especially non-segmental vitiligo (NSV), is one kind of autoimmune diseases and CD4+ T cells play important roles in the pathogenesis. However, there have been very limited data on the detailed changes of each of the CD4+ T cell subsets in periphery in active NSV. To clarify this issue, we collected the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 30 patients with active NSV and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The percentages of circulating Th1, Th2, Th17 and Tregs were evaluated using flow cytometry and the expressions of their specific transcription factors T-bet, GATA3, RORγt and FOXP3 at mRNA level and protein levels were qualified by qPCR and flow cytometry, respectively. Meanwhile, the expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β, and IL-17A in serum were measured. We found that in patients with NSV, the percentages and absolute numbers of circulating Th1 and Th17 were both significantly higher than those of healthy controls, while the percentages of Th2 and Tregs and absolute numbers showed no significant difference compared to healthy controls. Moreover, the ratios of Th1/Tregs and Th17/Tregs in circulation were both statistically elevated in active NSV. Similar results were got in qualification of their corresponding transcription factors at mRNA level and protein levels. Compared with healthy controls, the expression level of IL-17A was significantly increased in serum of patients with NSV, while the productions of IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-β had no significant change. These data suggested that in circulating CD4+ T cell subsets, Th1 and Th17 played the major role in cellular immunity in the progression of vitiligo. The immune lever in circulation was inclined to effector CD4+ T cells not suppressor CD4+ T cells that may result in the loss of self-tolerance to melanocytes.
Keywords: Autoimmunity; CD4+ T cells; Non-segmental vitiligo.