الفهرس 
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Abstract
Vitiligo is an acquired, idiopathic disorder characterized by circumscribed totally amelanotic macules or patches surrounded by normal skin. It affects approximately 0.5-4% of the general population worldwide, and it can begin at any age but in about 50% it starts before the age of 20. There are multiple pathogenic hypotheses for vitiligo but, it is generally agreed that there is an absence of functional melanocytes. Melanocytes are derived from neural crest cells produced at the dorsal neural tube and then migrate under the epidermis to populate all parts of the skin, and share many signaling molecules with neurons.
GDNF is a neurotrophic factor that plays diverse developmental roles, supporting survival and also acting as a chemoattractant for axon and cell migration. In the skin, it is produced by basal keratinocytes. It has important roles in skin sensation and in hair growth control. In addition, GDNF is involved in the migration and differentiation of melanocytes from the neural crest.
In this study, the pattern of the GDNF and cognate receptor GFRα-1 expression in vitiligo patients’ skin were examined by immunohistochemical studies. For this purpose, 20 skin biopsies from vitiligo patients were taken and processed parallel with control healthy human skin biopsies. The present results show downregulation of GDNF and its cognate receptor GFRα-1 in all skin layers of vitiligo patients’ biopsies.
So, it could be concluded that GDNF and its high affinity receptor GFRα-1 may have a role in skin homeostasis and melanogenesis and their downregulation may suggest there role in vitiligo pathogenesis.