Vitiligo (vit-ih-LIE-go) is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. Vitiligo can start at any age, but most often appears before age 20. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair, the inside of the mouth and even the eyes. Normally, the color of hair, skin and eyes is determined by melanin. Vitiligo occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. In most cases, pigment loss spreads and eventually involves most of your skin. Rarely, the skin gets its color back.
However, an exciting case report published recently in JAMA Dermatology, a medical journal for Dermatology, details findings of a novel systemic therapy for vitiligo. A woman in her 50s was treated with Xeljanz, a Janus kinase inhibitor, 5 mg every other day, which increased to 5 mg every day after three weeks. The patient experienced partial repigmentation of skin on her face and hands after two months of therapy. There was nearly complete repigmentation of the forehead and hands, with partial repigmentation of the remaining involved areas after five months. Depigmentation remained on approximately 5% of the total body surface.
More importantly, no abnormalities in blood cell count, serum creatinine, hepatic function or lipids during treatment course were revealed in laboratory monitoring and no adverse events were reported.
Additional studies are needed to confirm efficacy and safety, but does offer hope of a reliable repigmentation therapy for vitiligo.
For more information on the study:
Case Report/Case Series | June 24, 2015
Tofacitinib Citrate for the Treatment of Vitiligo – A Pathogenesis-Directed Therapy
http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2323633
Sources:
JAMA Dermatol. Published online June 24, 2015
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Bruce Thiel, Healio.com