Original paper
Estimation of bFGF and TGF-β1 sera concentrations in vitiligo patients – pilot study

Introduction: Vitiligo is an acquired skin disease of unknown aetiopathogenesis. It is believed that the development of this disease is influenced by disturbed production of keratynocyte and fibroblast cytokines, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Some of the cytokines including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF/FGF-2) stimulate proliferation of pigment cells, whereas other cytokines including transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), are paracrine inhibitors of human melanocyte proliferation and melanogenesis. Moreover, immunosuppressive activity of TGF-β is thought to decrease T and B lymphocyte proliferation.
Material and methods: The study included 21 vitiligo patients as well as 17 healthy volunteers. Evaluation of the bFGF and TGF-β1 sera levels was performed by means of immunoenzymatic ELISA method.
Results: The mean sera concentration of bFGF in the vitiligo patients was 9.4769±4.8497 pg/ml (mean value ± standard deviation), whereas in the controls 8.5733±3.6386 pg/ml. The difference was not statistically significant (p=0.587047). The mean sera concentration of TGF-β1 in the vitiligo patients was 52.4931±17.7362 ng/ml (mean value ± standard deviation), whereas in the controls 44.6654±15.9378 ng/ml. The difference was not statistically significant (p=0.181621).
Conclusions: Since the results of studies on bFGF and TGF-β presented in the literature are inconsistent, the role of cytokines in the vitiligo development is still inconclusive. Therefore, in order to clarify the effect of bFGF on repigmentation of vitiliginous lesions as well as the possibility of using TGF-β immunosuppressive activity in vitiligo treatment, further studies are required.