Vitiligo Is Associated With A Significant Increase In Hla-A30, Cw6 And Dqw3 And A Decrease In C4aqo In Northern Italian Patients

HLA polymorphisms of class I (HLA-A, B, C) of class II (HLA-DR, DQ) and of class III (C4A, C4B, BF) were investigated in 93 Northern Italian patients affected with vitiligo and in 388 controls. Vitiligo patients had significant increases in HLA-A30 (corrected p, p(c) = 0.0144), Cw6 (p(c) = 0.0189), DQw3 (p(c) < 0.0003) and a significant decrease in C4AQ0 (p(c) = 0.003). Nonfamilial vitiligo is marked by increases in HLA-A30 and DQw3. Extensive vitiligo is marked by increases in HLA-A30 and Cw6. These findings suggest that immunogenetic mechanisms may be responsible for vitiligo and that unique HLA phenotypes may influence the expression of vitiligo in this population.