Serum level of S100B in vitiligo patients: Is it a marker of disease activity?

Background: Vitiligo is a chronic depigmentary skin disorder, characterised clinically by the development of white macules and or patches caused by loss of epidermal melanocytes. S100B is a dual function protein released from epidermal melanocytes in response to injury. It considered a possible marker of disease activity in both malignant melanoma and vitiligo. Aim of the study To estimate the serum level of S100B level in vitiligo patients and correlate its level with disease activity and various disease parameters. Patients and methods: Sixty vitiligo patients and 60 healthy volunteers as controls were included in the study. Vitiligo Area Severity Index (VASI) and Vitiligo Disease Activity (VIDA) scores were estimated for each patient. Quantitative assessment of S100B level using ELISA technique was done for all participants. Results: S100B level was significantly correlated with the presence of vitiligo (P = 0.01), while it showed no correlation with the disease activity using VASI or VIDA scores. As regards the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of S100B for diagnosis and discrimination of vitiligo, serum S100B showed area under the curve (AUC) of 0.781 with 73.3% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Conclusion: The serum level of S100B was related to the presence of vitiligo, but its level did not show any relation to the disease activity using either VASI and VIDA scores or various disease parameters.