Abstract
Background: The mechanism behind vitiligo has been vague with most of studies reported different findings and conclusions. In Northern borders region of Saudi Arabia, vitiligo became highly prevalent and has great effect socially among population.
Aim: To investigate the expression of Bcl-2 and p53 in order to understand the mechanism behind vitiligo.
Method: descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at a specialized dermatology center in the city of Arar, Northern Borders of Saudi Arabia. Biopsies were taken from 50 patients (30 males, 20 females) along with 20 healthy control and investigated for the expression of Bcl-2 and p53 using immune-histochemical technique.
Result Bcl-2 expression as anti-apoptotic markers was high in skin of normal subjects with while there was no expression within the lesion of all fifty subjects, p53 has shown very low expression (+) in all 20 normal skin control subjects while of the 50 vitiligo subjects the expression varied between (++) within peri-lesional area and to within the lesional area with no significant gender or age variation.
Conclusion: our findings regarding Bcl-2 and p53 expression correlates with previous findings reported within the literature and strongly support the hypothesis of apoptosis as a major mechanism behind vitiligo more than necrosis.