What causes vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a relatively common skin disease. The most obvious symptom of vitiligo is the appearance of white patches of different shapes on the skin, which is significantly different from the healthy skin color. There are many theories about the cause of vitiligo, such as genetics, autoimmunity, mental and neural, etc. It is recommended that patients go to the hospital for a more detailed examination.

1. Genetic theory

Vitiligo can occur in twins and families, indicating that heredity plays an important role in the onset of vitiligo. Studies have shown that vitiligo has incomplete penetrance and there are multiple pathogenic sites on the gene.

2. Autoimmunity theory

Vitiligo can be combined with autoimmune diseases such as thyroid disease, diabetes, chronic adrenal insufficiency, pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, malignant melanoma, etc. Specific antibodies to various organs can also be detected in the serum, such as anti-thyroid antibodies, anti-gastric parietal cell antibodies, anti-adrenal gland antibodies, anti-parathyroid antibodies, anti-smooth muscle antibodies, anti-melanocyte antibodies, etc.

3. Psychological and neurochemical theory

Mental factors are closely related to the onset of vitiligo. Most patients suffer from mental trauma, excessive tension, depression or frustration during the onset or development of skin lesions. The degeneration of nerve endings in the white spots also supports the neurochemical theory.

4. Melanocyte self-destruction theory

Vitiligo patients can produce antibodies and T lymphocytes in their bodies, indicating that the immune response may lead to the destruction of melanocytes. Toxic melanin precursors synthesized by the cells themselves and certain chemicals that cause skin depigmentation may also have a selective destructive effect on melanocytes.

5. Trace element deficiency theory

The levels of copper or ceruloplasmin in the blood and skin of vitiligo patients are reduced, resulting in reduced tyrosinase activity, thus affecting the metabolism of melanin.

6. Other factors

Trauma, sun exposure and some photosensitive drugs can also induce vitiligo.