Association analysis of traditional Uighur medicine differential syndrome typing with biochemical parameters in serum and lesional tissue fluid of vitiligo patients

IntroductionTraditional Uighur medicine humoral (Hilit) theory recognises six different syndrome types of vitiligo. Levels of cytokines, hormones and neurotransmitters relevant to vitiligo were measured in patients diagnosed according to Uighur medicine criteria, in order to identify any association between biochemical parameters and the six syndromes identified by traditional differential diagnosis.MethodsUsing ELISA, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), tyrosine enzyme antibody IgG (IgG), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), cortisol and norepinephrine (NE) levels were measured in peripheral blood serum of 90 healthy adults, and in serum and skin lesional tissue fluid of 450 vitiligo patients. Large sample multi-angle correlation analysis was used to compare data between patients and non-vitiligo suffers and between patients in the six vitiligo syndrome groups.ResultsAnalysis of biochemical parameters showed that serum levels of sICAM-1, IgG and especially IFN-gamma, were higher in patients than in controls, whereas cortisol levels were lower (IFN-gamma, P = 0.017; sICAM-1, P = 0.000; IgG, P = 0.025; cortisol, P = 0.000). IFN-gamma, cortisol, IgG and NE levels were lower in serum than in skin lesional tissue fluid, whereas 5-HT was higher in serum (IFN-gamma, P = 0.000; cortisol, P = 0.000; IgG, P = 0.034; NE, P = 0.000; 5-HT, P = 0.000). There were no differences in serum indicators between syndromes but in skin lesional tissue fluid, IFN-gamma, 5-HT and IgG levels showed significant differences between types,ConclusionIncreased levels of IFN-gamma are associated with the development of vitiligo. The traditional Uighur dialectical typing of vitiligo into six different syndromes is supported by changes in levels of cytokines in skin lesional tissue fluid, but not serum.