Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
3341440 Autoimmunity Reviews 2016 8 Pages PDF
Abstract

•IL-17 and the Th17 program have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.•Human and mouse studies show that IL-17 is significantly correlated with vitiligo and may play a role in its pathogenesis.

IL-17 is involved in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases; however its role in vitiligo has not been well defined. Emerging human and mouse studies have demonstrated that systemic, tissue, and cellular levels of IL-17 are elevated in vitiligo. Many studies have also shown significant positive correlations between these levels and disease activity, extent, and severity. Treatments that improve vitiligo, such as ultraviolet B phototherapy, also modulate IL-17 levels. This review synthesizes our current understanding of how IL-17 may influence the pathogenesis of autoimmune vitiligo at the molecular level. This has implications for defining new vitiligo biomarkers and treatments.

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Life Sciences Immunology and Microbiology Immunology
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