Assessment of Serum IL-17 and Thyroid Autoantibodies (Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg) Levels in Vitiligo Patients Compared to Healthy Controls

Saheb, Dakhil I.; Mahmood, Thikra A.

doi:10.21608/ejmm.2025.378671.1585

Assessment of Serum IL-17 and Thyroid Autoantibodies (Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg) Levels in Vitiligo Patients Compared to Healthy Controls

Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.

Authors

Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq

10.21608/ejmm.2025.378671.1585

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is a chronic depigmenting disorder characterized by the selective loss of melanocytes. Immune dysregulation—particularly involving pro‑inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‑17 (IL‑17)—and thyroid autoimmunity have been implicated in its pathogenesis. Objective: To evaluate serum IL‑17, anti‑thyroid peroxidase (anti‑TPO), and anti‑thyroglobulin (anti‑Tg) levels in vitiligo patients compared to healthy controls and to explore their associations with disease duration and clinical subtype. Methodology: In this case–control study, 60 patients with clinically diagnosed vitiligo and 60 age‑ and sex‑matched healthy volunteers provided verbal consent and peripheral blood samples. Serum IL‑17 concentrations were measured by ELISA (Bet Lab, China), while anti‑TPO and anti‑Tg were quantified using the Mallagu Sinb antibody analyzer. Group differences were assessed via independent t‑tests, and scatter‑plot analyses evaluated correlations with disease duration. Results: Serum IL‑17 levels were significantly elevated in vitiligo patients (0.903 ± 0.032 ng/mL) compared to controls (0.733 ± 0.076 ng/mL; p = 0.043). No significant IL‑17 differences were observed between generalized and localized vitiligo (p = 0.288), nor was there any correlation between IL‑17 levels and disease duration. Anti‑TPO and anti‑Tg concentrations were markedly higher in the patient group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), but neither antibody level correlated with disease duration. Conclusion: The elevated IL‑17 and thyroid autoantibody levels in vitiligo patients support roles for Th17‑mediated inflammation and thyroid autoimmunity in vitiligo pathogenesis. The lack of association with disease duration or subtype underscores the need for longitudinal and mechanistic studies to clarify these relationships.

Keywords