Cluster of differentiation 70 and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 gene expression in vitiligo patients

Background Vitiligo manifests as an autoimmune-mediated dermatological condition typified by the development of depigmented macules and patches on the skin. Objective To evaluate the differential expression profiles of cluster of differentiation 70 (CD70) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) in patients diagnosed with vitiligo relative to a cohort of healthy controls. Patients and methods This case-control study involved 60 participants, comprising 30 vitiligo patients and 30 healthy controls, matched for age and sex. We employed quantitative real-time PCR to assess the gene expression levels of CD70 and CXCL10 in peripheral blood. Disease severity and progression were gauged through application of both the Vitiligo Disease Activity (VIDA) and Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (VASI) scores. Results The median expression levels of CD70 and CXCL10 were significantly higher in vitiligo patients (CD70: relative quantification (RQ)=14.64, range 0.7–65.86; CXCL10: RQ=18.47, range 1.4–60.63) compared with controls (CD70: RQ=1.01, range 0.16–11.64; CXCL10: RQ=1.12, range 0.26–16.13), with both markers showing statistical significance ( P <0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated excellent discriminative power for both CD70 (area under the curve=0.935) and CXCL10 (AUC=0.910) in diagnosing vitiligo. Additionally, notable positive associations were observed between the expression levels of these markers and Vitiligo Area Scoring Index scores (CD70: r =0.508, P =0.004; CXCL10: r =0.439, P =0.015). Conclusion CD70 and CXCL10 are significantly upregulated in vitiligo and strongly correlated with disease severity, suggesting their potential role in pathogenesis and as biomarkers for assessing disease activity.