Vitiligo is a primary, limited or generalized pigmentation loss of the skin and mucous membranes. The prevalence in the population is relatively high, with an estimated 1% to 2 of the population suffering from vitiligo. The age ranges from infancy to old age. The cause of vitiligo has a variety of factors, 1, genetic factors: often can see vitiligo has family gathering phenomenon. It means that vitiligo has heredity. The positive rate of family is 26%. The heredity of vitiligo is controlled by 3 to 4 loci of recessive genes.
2, neuropsychiatric factors: neuropsychiatric factors are closely related to the occurrence of vitiligo. Mental factors lead to stress in the body, mental trauma or life stress and other stressful mental events, is one of the important factors in the onset of vitiligo or the intensification of the disease. Mental stress, induced neurotransmitters catecholamines, such as adrenaline norepinephrine, dopamine and other release increased. In contrast, complexine and dopamine are precursors required for both melanin and neurotransmitter synthesis, and an increase in neurotransmitter synthesis in competition with both decreases melanin synthesis. We can see clinically, many patients due to mental trauma, brain overuse or stress and other factors caused by vitiligo enlargement increased. Some teenagers play highly stressful games and induce vitiligo. Some small children are often induced vitiligo due to fright or fall fright.
3, melanocyte self-destruction: some patients in serious exposure to the sun or tanning after the onset. And late spring and early summer, prone to new white spots, this is because some people after tanning, their melanocytes clear melanin formation process intermediate products ability is insufficient. These intermediate products accumulate to produce toxins, so that melanocyte damage and death.
4, immune theory: in the vitiligo patient’s lesions, can often occur halo nevus, may be a kind of T cell immune activation reaction. So the treatment of vitiligo with glucocorticoids, more can achieve the efficacy. There are also some vitiligo patients with reduced copper or copper blue protein in the skin and blood.