Abstract :
Generalized vitiligo (GV) is an autoimmune skin disease characterized by bilateral white patches over the entire body. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain peripheral tolerance; however, they are found to be reduced in numbers and function in vitiligo patients. The exact mechanism for reduced Treg suppressive capacity is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to assess transcript levels of Tregs-associated immunosuppressive genes (GZMB, NRP1, PDCD1, FASLG, and TNFRS18), regulatory molecules of Tregs suppressive function (SERPINB9, ITPR1, and UBASH3A), and Treg-associated transcription factors (GATA2, GATA3, RUNX1, STAT3, and STAT5) in 52 GV patients and 48 controls by real-time PCR (qPCR). We found significantly reduced GZMB, NRP1, SERPINB9, and ITPR1 transcripts in GV Tregs compared to controls (p=0.03, p=0.023, p=0.0045, and p