Vitiligo is an autoimmune depigmenting disorder with a prevalence of 1% worldwide. While the exact pathogenesis of vitiligo remains unclear, it is caused by immune-mediated destruction of melanocytes. Vitamin D is known to have immunomodulatory effects on cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, thus deficiency is known to play a role in many autoimmune conditions. In the skin specifically, vitamin D has been shown to stimulate melanogenesis in vitro, and to regulate the activation, proliferation, and migration of melanocytes. As there is debate in the literature regarding serum vitamin D levels in vitiligo patients, we aim to characterize serum vitamin D levels in vitiligo patients at our institution. A retrospective review was performed utilizing TriNetX to query de-identified patient data from our institution's electronic health record system from January 2013 to May 2022. Calcidiol (25-hydroxy-vitaminD) was utilized as a surrogate for vitamin D level. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square tests. At our institution, we identified 138 patients with vitiligo who also had a calcidiol level drawn following diagnosis. These patients had an average age of 56 [SD + 22 years] and were majority female (72%) and not Hispanic or Latino (93%). Most patients were Caucasian (62%), followed by African American (27%), and Asian (7%). Vitiligo patients had an average serum calcidiol level of 32.6 ng/mL + 17.2 [reference range: 25 – 80 ng/mL]. This was significantly lower than sex-matched, healthy controls [36.8 ng/mL + 15.8, p-value = 0.0294]. Given its effects on melanocyte proliferation, vitamin D has the potential to stabilize vitiligo lesions. Those with sufficient vitamin D levels have a higher degree of repigmentation after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation. As vitiligo patients in our cohort had serum calcidiol that were low-normal, our results suggest that vitiligo patients at our institution may benefit from vitamin D supplementation. Large scale studies investigating serum vitamin D levels and extent of disease are warranted.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune depigmenting disorder with a prevalence of 1% worldwide. While the exact pathogenesis of vitiligo remains unclear, it is caused by immune-mediated destruction of melanocytes. Vitamin D is known to have immunomodulatory effects on cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, thus deficiency is known to play a role in many autoimmune conditions. In the skin specifically, vitamin D has been shown to stimulate melanogenesis in vitro, and to regulate the activation, proliferation, and migration of melanocytes. As there is debate in the literature regarding serum vitamin D concentrations in vitiligo patients, we aim to characterize serum vitamin D levels in vitiligo patients at our institution. A retrospective review was performed utilizing TriNetX to query de-identified patient data from our institution's electronic health record system from January 2013 to May 2022. Calcidiol (25-hydroxy-vitaminD) was utilized as a surrogate for vitamin D concentrations. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square tests. At our institution, we identified 138 patients with vitiligo who also had a calcidiol concentration drawn following diagnosis. These patients had an average age of 56 [SD + 22 years] and were majority female (72%) and not Hispanic or Latino (93%). Most patients were Caucasian (62%), followed by African American (27%), and Asian (7%). Vitiligo patients had an average serum calcidiol concentration of 32.6 ng/mL + 17.2 [reference range: 25 – 80 ng/mL]. This was significantly lower than sex-matched, healthy controls [36.8 ng/mL + 15.8, p-value = 0.0294]. Importantly, patients included in our study were not concomitantly beign treated with phototherapy or on vitamin D supplementation. Given its effects on melanocyte proliferation, vitamin D has the potential to stabilize vitiligo lesions. Those with sufficient vitamin D concentrations have a higher degree of repigmentation after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation. As vitiligo patients in our cohort had serum calcidiol that were low-normal, our results suggest that vitiligo patients at our institution may benefit from vitamin D supplementation. Large scale studies investigating serum vitamin D levels and extent of disease are warranted.

ESDR153 - Lower Levels of Calcidiol (Vitamin D2) Found in Patients with Vitiligo

The scientific meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) is held yearly, usually in September. With an international attendance of more than 1000 skin scientists from around the globe, the four-day event includes short oral presentations from peer-reviewed abstracts, keynote lectures from international experts, sponsored symposia, satellite programs, educational events as well as an important focus on posters, networking and building collaborations amongst scientists. For more information about this year’s meeting visit our website.