Abstract:
Vitiligo is clinically characterized by the appearance of non-symptomatic depigmented macules,
but the disorder is highly correlated with a wide range of psychiatric disorders and psychological
problems. The aim of our study was to investigate serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) levels in vitiligo patients and healthy controls in relation to
the observed symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. This study comprised 96 vitiligo patients
and 96 healthy controls who flled out the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized
Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales. Serum levels of BDNF and CRH were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. There was a signifcant increase of depression and
anxiety scores in vitiligo patients as compared with healthy controls (P< 0.05). The serum levels of
BDNF were signifcantly lower in vitiligo patients than in healthy individuals (Z= 4.002; P< 0.001),
while the serum levels of CRH were markedly higher in cases than those in controls (Z= 3.764;
P< 0.001). The signifcant positive correlations between serum CRH levels and GAD-7, PHQ-9 scores
were observed. However, the aforementioned psychometric scales did not correlate signifcantly with
serum BDNF level. Vitiligo is associated with the depression and is closely linked with lower BDNF
levels