الفهرس 
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Abstract
Background: Vitiligo is a disorder characterized by depigmented patches in the skin due to partial or complete loss of melanocytes. Melatonin is a hormone that affects melanogenesis and pigmentation. The possible role of the melantonergic system in the pathogenesis of vitiligo remains unclear.
Aim of the work: The aim of this study was to examine the expression of melatonin in lesional and non lesional skin of vitiligo patients and in skin of healthy controls in order to verify its possible role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.
Patient and Methods: The present study included 20 vitiligo patients and 20 healthy controls. Skin biopsies were taken from lesional and non lesional skin of vitiligo patients and from skin of healthy controls to examine the expression of melatonin using immunohistochemistry technique with assessment of severity of vitiligo using VASI score.
Results: The present study results showed that melatonin expressions were significantly lower in lesional and non lesional skin of vitiligo patients compared to controls (p value< 0.001). In the same patient group lesional and non lesional skins were concordant. We found positive relation between melatonin expression in lesional skin of patients both with the course of the disease (p value=0.050) and also with sex of the patients (p value =0.008). As regarding the age of patients there was significant relation between melatonin expression in both lesional skin with (p value<0.0001) and non lesional skin with p value=0.001 with lower melatonin expression in older age group. There was a significant relation between melatonin expression and the duration of vitiligo in lesional skin (p value=0.016) and the non lesional skin (p value=0.007) with lower melatonin expression in patients with longer disease duration the results showed no statistically significant relation VASI scores and melatonin (lesional and non lesional expression) in patients group.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated significantly lower expression of melatonin in the lesional and non lesional skin of vitiligo patients compared to controls suggesting a role for melatonin deficiency in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. In each patient the whole skin, not only the clinically affected area with vitiligo is affected with decreased melatonin to nearly the same degree.
Keywords: Vitiligo – melatonin – Immunohistochemistry.