Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that affects melanin, the pigmentation in the skin, and results in the development of pale-white patches on the skin. It occurs when a person’s immune system becomes dysfunctional and begins to attack melanin cells in the skin, killing the cells off and causing skin regions without pigment cells to become paler.
The American Academy of Dermatology notes that there are several types of vitiligo depending on how the patches appear, how much of the skin they cover and their rate of spread. Localized vitiligo typically causes a few patches over small areas of the body, segmental vitiligo affects one side of the body and tends to spread rapidly, while nonsegmental vitiligo can result in the slower development of pale-white patches on both sides of the body.
Although physicians don’t know exactly why vitiligo occurs, they believe a mix of environmental and genetic factors increases one’s likelihood of developing the condition. Because some of these contributing factors are also linked to autoimmune conditions such as lupus, thyroid diseases and rheumatoid arthritis, scientists are becoming increasingly interested in the connection between vitiligo and other autoimmune conditions.
Prior studies have found that a notable percentage of patients with vitiligo also suffer from other autoimmune conditions. According to a 2016 study of 1,098 people living with vitiligo, close to 20% had at least one other autoimmune condition while 3% had more than one additional autoimmune disease. Hypothyroidism was the most common co-occurring autoimmune condition in the study, with scientists also noting the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and alopecia areata.
Furthermore, the presence of vitiligo may also increase one’s risk of developing other autoimmune conditions, including Addison’s disease, Sjögren’s disease, and pernicious anemia.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t secrete enough thyroid hormone while hyperthyroidism occurs when the gland produces too much thyroid hormone. Thyroid disease usually causes symptoms such as unexplained weight loss or weight gain, fatigue, difficulty tolerating heat or cold, and changes in heart rate, mood, menstrual periods, libido and fertility.
A 2017 review of genetic studies revealed that several genes may impact people’s risk of developing both vitiligo and autoimmune thyroid disorders, with hypothyroidism being much more common in people living with vitiligo. A 2016 study found that alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that results in patchy or total hair loss, occurs at more than average rates in people with vitiligo. A separate 2016 study from Mexico also found a link between vitiligo and rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The search by enterprises such as Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: SCNI) for effective immunotherapies targeting autoimmune diseases may help to stem the progression of some of these illnesses and possibly reduce the likelihood of a patient developing additional autoimmune illnesses.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Scinai Immunotherapeutics Ltd. (NASDAQ: SCNI) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SCNI
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