Department of Clinical Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2012 Jan;25(1):99-109. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-148X.2011.00920.x. Epub 2011 Oct 25.
Auto-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes play a key role in the progressive loss or destruction of melanocytes in vitiligo but the mechanism underlying the loss of self-tolerance is unknown. A deregulation of regulatory T-cell biology has recently been suggested. The analysis of the suppressive effects of peripheral T regulatory cells in vitiligo patients revealed a functional defect in seven of 15 cases. This defect was strongly correlated with disease activity. The evaluation of the percentage of peripheral regulatory T lymphocytes did not reveal any intrinsic quantitative defect. Yet, a decrease in the percentage of such cells was noted in patients with progressive forms, suggesting a recruitment of regulatory T cells from the peripheral blood to the site of injury. This was further corroborated by the significant increase of Forkhead box P3 expression in the vitiliginous skin of patients. Our data support the involvement of a functional defect of peripheral regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of vitiligo and open new possibilities to advance therapeutic approaches.
自身反应性细胞毒性 T 淋巴细胞在白癜风中黑素细胞的进行性丧失或破坏中起关键作用，但丧失自身耐受的机制尚不清楚。最近有研究提示调节性 T 细胞生物学的失调。分析 15 例白癜风患者外周 T 调节细胞的抑制作用，发现 7 例存在功能缺陷。该缺陷与疾病活动性强烈相关。外周调节性 T 淋巴细胞的百分比评估并未显示任何内在的定量缺陷。然而，在进行性疾病患者中观察到此类细胞的百分比下降，提示调节性 T 细胞从外周血募集到损伤部位。患者白癜风皮肤中叉头框 P3 表达的显著增加进一步证实了这一点。我们的数据支持外周调节性 T 细胞功能缺陷参与白癜风的发病机制，并为推进治疗方法提供了新的可能性。
